


Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

by LilithEros



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Dreams and Nightmares, Dubious Consent, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Hallucinations, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt, Masturbation, Misogyny, Occasional Perspective Changes, Past Child Abuse, Persona 4 Spoilers, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, T-rated in beginning but earns the E-rating later on lol, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships, Will tag more as they come up..., sexual fantasies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-01-25 06:58:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12525632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilithEros/pseuds/LilithEros
Summary: You are just a simple policewoman looking to re-establish some mundane normalcy in your life by transferring to the quiet country town of Inaba.Weirdness and misfortune seem to follow you everywhere, however, and soon thrust you into the hands of a certain detective who is all too eager to help out the new cop on the block.Inevitably you find yourself dragged into a dangerous game being rigged by unseen forces.Will your newfound companion help you swim or watch you drown?





	1. Welcome to Inaba

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here I am. Posting this work on another site, hoping this'll motivate me more. Lol. This has been a project I've been working on for a while. I'm bad at updating but I'm trying to finish this! I've got some new ideas and want to continue this since there's so little Adachi/reader works out there!
> 
> Adachi is just one of my top trash husbands
> 
> I've already got 4.5 chapters written so updates might be quick at first then slow down just as fast haha.
> 
> Ps. Html is not my strongest but I'm trying to learn.
> 
> I own nothing. Not even you.
> 
> Also posted on Ff.net and Lunaesence Archives.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**_June 21st, 2011_ **

11:01 PM… 59 minutes until _midnight_.

"Shit…," you hissed, tearing your gaze away from your watch and readjusting your left arm to support the plastic bags of pricey necessities hooked on the crook of your elbow.

If you don't hurry up, you'll be stuck out here alone at 12 AM. And you know what happens at--

**_No. That doesn't happen anymore. It can't. Not since… Ugh, just no. It won't happen here. Just can't._ **

**_Breathe!_ **

**_Inhale: 1..2..3.._ **

**_Exhale: 1..2..3..4..5..6.._ **

You timed each breath carefully, mindful of keeping a relaxing tempo and focusing on just that simple action instead of those triggering thoughts. 

Your steps began to slow from their panicked scurrying, growing cautious. 

But the sting of the cold raindrops needling into you from above broke your attempt at achieving peace of mind and brought you back to the harsh reality of being lost in an unfamiliar town in the middle of an unexpected storm like a lone stray.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

This was supposed to be an easy transfer. 

Take the train, find your apartment, unpack a little, grab some dinner at some local place, get back and _sleep_.

But of course, being _you_ , there was no way you'd turn out so lucky.

"What did I do to deserve this?" you groaned, mentally cursing the pissing night sky above you and every misfortune you had encountered before this moment.

You sank to your knees in the middle of the empty street, weighed down by defeat and the stupid Junes bags that were beginning to collect rainwater. The thin clothes you had chosen to wear due to the summer weather clung to your body in a layer of chilling moisture. 

The countless predictions for a drier summer and the non-existent rain clouds that evening had lulled you into a false sense of safety from the rain. 

Naturally, the idea of bringing an umbrella or a raincoat never occurred to you before leaving your apartment. 

Until the skies opened up to vomit a torrential downpour upon your sorry head coming back from Junes.

You had no money left for a new umbrella or even a cheap plastic poncho. For a moment you considered buying a box of large trash bags to drape over yourself like a crazy hobo--you didn't think you even had enough for that.

Where the hell had you put your damn wallet!?

For the umpteenth time, you mentally kicked yourself for misplacing such an important item.

You could have sworn you put it in THIS purse and not the one that was packed on one of the moving boxes that had gone AWOL.

Thankfully, what was left of the gift money from Officer Kurosawa and your other co-workers was just enough to support this unplanned shopping trip. 

But that was just pure dumb luck. The only tiny blessing you've been granted thus far!

"I should've bought a car… I could have lived in it...," you sighed, trying to comfort yourself with the phantom feeling of a heated dry cab. 

If you had the foresight to do that and hadn't been so focused on getting the fuck out of Port Island, you wouldn't be trying to walk home in this damn storm… even a scooter or bicycle would have been a wise purchase. 

"...But wait… where IS home!?"

The sudden realization made your stomach sink even further. 

You lifted your gaze from your pitiful reflection in the rippling puddle beneath you, squinting into the darkness through the stringy tendrils of your hair and the huge droplets splattering into your eyes.

The street lights were few and far between, making visibility even worse. No traffic passed and there were no familiar signs or landmarks. How you even found your way to Junes, you would never know. 

Now, you couldn't even remember the way back there. Having a vehicle wouldn't help shit if you didn't know where you lived in the first place!

There was a rising of hate for Inaba with each miserable passing second.

Late train. Missing moving boxes. A trek many blocks away from home to be practically robbed by the money hungry grocery franchise in order to purchase replacement clothing and other essentials. Then, the rain...

The fact that you had to show up at the Inaba police department in the morning to start your job was just the rotten cherry atop the shit sundae being served to you.

Seeing as you had to get up at 4am to get ready and it was now past 11pm… sleep was gonna be hell.

Well, it's not like you slept all that well anyway.

After all the weird shit you had experienced for 5 years total living in Iwatodai, you figured it was high time you moved.

FAR, far away.

Why you had waited so long was beyond you. The damage was done and could have been prevented if you had just transferred right when you noticed something was NOT right in Port Island.

Night patrol had been the absolute worst. When it was your turn to work the night shift on the rotating schedule, you dreaded it.

Freaky green sky, blood and coffins everywhere, the strange shadowy blobs… 

You scrambled to hide wherever you could within the city when the clock struck twelve. You sort of believe now that maybe starting your career off young ~~and dumb~~ affected your decision to tough it out and do what you could to protect the civilians-- who never seemed to be around at midnight.

The Japanese police mentality that had been drilled into your brain at the academy was still fresh at that time, holding you to a sense of obligation to stay

The _incident_ on January 31st, 2009 had been the nail in the proverbial coffin (Ugh, coffins!), the day you finally lost it.

Somehow, the moon had gained a gigantic fucking eyeball and would have come crashing down onto the city had it not been for some mysterious force stopping it. The details were fuzzy and you weren't sure of the how and why and what happened after.

If it was real or just a case of mass hysteria among the public eye due to some illusions projected by a doomsday cult, you would never truly know.

What you did know, is it was enough for you to spend hours with your psychiatrist sobbing about the nightmares of being squashed by a humongous eyeball or consumed by a sentient pile of tar.

Not to mention the occasional hallucination or two, and the flashbacks that came with them of you forgot to take your meds (which was often since you disliked taking them in the first place)… 

You wished to escape the nightmares even after they were over, and transfer to a place where you could relax. A place where the most eventful problem you would have to deal with was fishing an old lady's cat out of a tree.

No more walking past slack-jawed, apathetic zombies.

No more looking the other way as Officer Kurosawa slips underage teens extremely strange and dangerous weapons.

No more puke green night sky and bleeding coffins.

After a long while of searching, you finally found a suitable place to transfer to. You were content with the idea of living in this quiet country town, the kind of setting you were familiar with since you grew up in a similar rural place. While your childhood wasn't the happiest, you still sometimes found yourself missing the fresh, clean air and the taste of locally grown produce. 

You decided maybe that would be all the therapy you needed. It was time to go back to your roots, build up a foundation of a normal life again.

But, perhaps deciding your own treatment might have been another mistake to add to the long list.

"Um, excuse me, Miss? Do you realize you're sitting in the middle of the road?" A soft voice tore you away from your morbid thoughts.

You looked up, blinking and swiping the water from your vision with the back of your hand. 

A tall, slender figure stood in front of you. Dark suit, short unkempt black hair, mildly concerned expression on his pale face. With one thin hand he held an umbrella that shielded him from the rain. You looked at the object longingly. It looked very dry under there…

You sighed heavily and gave him a bitter smile. 

"I think being run over would be better than living the shit Fate's thrown at me."

The man chuckled, the sound awkward and uncomfortable from his frowning lips. He didn't seem to know what to say to that.

"Weeeell… are you hurt? Is there anyone I can call? Mom, dad… boyfriend?" he paused thoughtfully, a small friendly smile replacing his frown. He crouched down to your level and held the umbrella over you.

At this, your eyebrow rose. He thought you were a kid.

"I'm a police officer, Miss. I can help," he assured gently. The man laid his free hand on your shoulder. You could feel his warmth through the material of your shirt. 

The shock of your differing body temperatures and the oddly intimate squeeze he administered made you slightly uncomfortable. You flinched away from his touch.

He continued to stare with that same amiable gaze, unfazed.

You tried to clear your throat and felt your cheeks warm a little.

"Ah.. Uh, no," you said with a shake of your head. It was easier to see him now that he was closer and you found your gaze flickering over his average features. Nothing spectacular in your opinion, but the man wasn't all that bad to look at. He appeared to be your age… maybe a little older?

"Um, I mean no, you don't have to call anyone. Not that there's anyone to call anyway…" You trailed off, the thought of having to go home to an empty apartment haunting you. 

"Oh? Not even your parents?" 

Was it just you, or was his face a little closer to yours?

Your eyes found his dark orbs and you shook your head again, this time with a little more irritation.

"I'm not a wayward teen. I'm an adult with my own place and everything… I'm uh… just a little lost. New in town, you see." You sighed in frustration and sobered to the fact that the dirty puddle you sat in had seeped thoroughly into your underwear.

"S-sorry! I didn't realize… you look so young!" Again he laughed awkwardly and gave you a sheepish smile.

Sure, you were in your mid-twenties, but you didn't think that you looked like a high schooler. You settled with taking the comment as a compliment. 

"Well since you're lost, I could escort you home... maybe help you with these bags as well? I know this town like the back of my hand now."

A smile ghosted your lips at his offer and you nodded gratefully. 

"Oh man, that'd be awesome. Thank you!" Internally, you were sobbing with joy. Perhaps Fate wasn't all that angry at you after all. 

You allowed him to help you up, relieved when he took some of the bags off your tired arms. It was then that you realized how cold you really were as the blood started flowing through your numb legs. The sensation felt like being stung by needles of ice. 

You told him your address and hoped that the route would be quick. 

"Wait, you live _there_? What a coincidence, I live there too! Was just headed home. Boy, are you lucky I found you!" The man grinned and you saw a soft twinkle in his eyes as he gazed at you. His smile was infectious and you found yourself beaming too.

He began to lead the way, kindly sharing his umbrella with you. 

"So, you're new here huh? Explains why I've never seen you around. This town's pretty small, so I know practically every face I pass by. It's nothing at all like the big city," the man said.

You looked to him and nodded in agreement. 

"You can say that again. I moved here from Iwatodai, and this place just seems like a whole other world. But all these little streets here are like a maze. Even if it's small, it's still confusing. But I'm hoping it'll be easier to memorize than the city."

"Oh, you're from Port Island? I worked at the station in the mall for a year before passing my exams for a detective position," he smiles fondly, a twinkle of warmth in his eyes that you find yourself liking, "Don't worry, you'll get it. It took me a couple months to understand the layout, but I know my way around now. After all, it's my job being an officer of the law here." 

He turned to you with that easy grin you were starting to grow accustomed to and studied your face for a moment. "So, what's your name?"

You gave your name, wondering what about your face was so interesting to look at that he had to stare. 

"Uh, well make sure you got it memorized, eh? We'll probably be seeing each other on a daily basis. I'll be working under the Inaba PD starting tomorrow," you stated.

"Wha? So you're a cop too? Man, you wouldn't know it by just looking at you." He casually gave you a once over and you felt another blush coming on. You could say the same thing about him with his rumpled suit but under his scrutiny you couldn't summon your voice to say so.

"Y'know, it's really a good thing we ran into each other. There's some crazy serial killer on the loose if you don't know. Seems like he's gotta taste for young women with how the case has been going. It'd be pretty bad if you were caught all alone and vulnerable this late at night. But hey! At least I'm here, right?" 

You blinked at the cheerfulness he exuded and wondered how he could stay so sunny with this so called 'crazy serial killer' running around free.

A shiver passed through you.

You had nearly forgotten the strange murder case that was going on in Inaba with all the misfortunes that had piled up on you. Two women, one a well-known TV announcer, dead and hanging from TV antennas and telephone poles, multiple kidnappings…

Well, there goes your idea of finding peace in this town.

At least you were capable of self-defense and were allowed to carry a gun while on-duty.

You managed a nervous chuckle and rubbed at your arms in a vain attempt to warm yourself.

"Oh hey, you haven't told me your name yet, Mr. Policeman," you mentioned with a friendly nudge.

"I haven't? Sorry about that," he says with an apologetic smile, "The name's Tohru. Detective Tohru Adachi." He promptly pulled his badge from his pocket as proof of his identity and any suspicions you harbored melted away.

You flashed him a smile.

"Well, pleased to make your acquaintance, Adachi-san."

* * *

"Here's my place. Thank you so much for helping me back, Adachi-san," you said as you approached the door to your apartment. You fished the key from your dripping purse and inserted it into the lock.

"Hey no problem at all. I uh.. just hope you don't catch a cold after being out so long." You turned your head back and caught him eyeing your wet clothes. The moment you made eye contact with him, he let out an anxious cough and looked away quickly with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out your clothes had been practically see through this whole time.

Well, damn it.

You whipped around quickly, face reddening, and opened the door.

"Um... If you ever need anymore assistance, you could just come knock on my door, heh." Adachi pointed to the door opposite from yours with a wide grin. 

Your brows shot up in surprise as you looked to his door. Co-worker AND neighbor? This town was smaller than you thought.

"Wow, okay. I'll keep that in mind," you nodded and stepped inside your apartment. "You can just put those bags in the kitchen area here. Sorry about the mess. As you can see, I haven't finished unpacking yet." You inclined your head to the boxes scattered across the plain white room, some appearing to have exploded after your frantic search for your missing things. 

You removed your shoes at the genkan and crossed the small apartment to your bed, dumping some of the bags you held on the floor next to it. You pulled out a few items of clothing from them and proceed to make your way to the bathroom with a bag of toiletries.

"You can go if you want to. I'll unload the groceries once I'm done changing. It's pretty late, I don't want to keep you up if you have to work tomorrow too, Adachi-san," you said. Checking the clock, you saw that there were fifteen minutes before midnight. 

**_I swear to God, if I see any weird coffins, I'll eat my gun…_ **

Adachi flashed you a thumbs up and watched you enter the bathroom.

"Christ, is this what he had to stare at all night?" you murmured with a frown at your reflection in the mirror. You attacked your smeared makeup with a cleansing wipe and towel dried your hair.

Though, it couldn't have been worse than being able to see your unmentionables without x-ray vision. Your face continued to burn as you peeled off your clothing and donned the new outfit. 

Unfortunately, it was a little damp, but you weren't about to run around naked without confirming Adachi was out of your apartment first.

You walked back out to the living area while combing the last of the tangles from your drying hair and paused, seeing Adachi still there taking it upon himself to put away what few groceries you had picked up.

"Oh! You didn't have to do that, Adachi-san! I could have handled it myself." You swooped in to help him but he shook his head with a smile.

"It's all right, I'm almost done. Whoa… this is a huge bottle of booze! You gonna drink all this by yourself!?" he exclaimed as he held up a comically large vessel of sake with a stunned expression on his face.

You snatched it away from him with a sheepish blush and shoved it into the fridge.

"Can't blame me for wanting to drown my sorrows. Besides… it was on sale," you admitted, running a hand through your hair. "If you want to share it with me sometime, then I wouldn't mind. It can be my thanks to you for being such a big help."

You eyed the clock again and deemed that you are way too tired to break open the bottle now. You only had a few hours to try and rest before work. 

"That sounds good. I think I'd like that," Adachi replied happily. "What time are you going to work? We could carpool to the station in the morning, if you'd like."

Seeing as you had no vehicle yet (you were considering a bicycle in favor of walking everywhere), the idea sounded amazing. There was no need to risk getting lost and being late on your first day. 

You accepted his offer as you saw him out the door.

"Okay, see you later! Have a good night!" Adachi waved as he unlocked the door to his own apartment.

"Good night, Adachi-san," you answered, lips curving upward into a small smile. 

You didn't have the strength to make it to your bed despite the fact that it was just a few yards from your door. You flopped onto the couch in front of the dead TV, staring at the screen with heavy lids. 

Well, at least you had turned out the lights.

The steady tick of the clock was enough to send you to sleep, but for some reason you fought it. The thought of midnight being seconds away instinctively sent chills through your body. You didn't think you would ever recover from the trauma.

The clock struck twelve.

Before you closed your eyes, you noticed the TV screen crackled to life and bathed the room in a dull electronic glow.

You blinked. 

A hazy figure appeared among the static. Some shadowy silhouette undulated on the screen. A girl?

Maybe you were more tired than you thought.

You shut your eyes and tried to sleep through the static.


	2. First Day On the Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What a way to start the first day...
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to mention there will be Canon divergences and added/edited events in this fic. Just to shake things up a bit and give a fresh take on some things. :)

Three hours and thirty-five minutes of sleep.

Whoopee… a new record.

You rubbed the sleep from your tired eyes as you forced yourself off the couch. Several times during the night you had startled awake from your vivid dreams and slipped back into a troublesome slumber. 

"Why can't I just sleep like a normal human being?" you grumbled, grimacing at the sound of your bones popping while you stretched. Your body ached from the unsupportive couch and the endless walking last night.

Seeing as you hadn't set up your alarm clock yet and your cellphone was dead in your purse, you were almost thankful you didn't go back to sleep.

Almost.

You gathered up the gumption to prepare yourself for work.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee greeted you when you stepped out of the bathroom fully showered and made up to conceal your exhausted visage underneath. It had taken a good few minutes to locate the coffee maker in the mess of boxes, but it was time well spent.

Lord knows you needed the caffeine. 

"I wonder if sake will doctor this up," you idly mused, eyeing the fridge while taking a sip of the cheap off-brand brew. No amount of cream or sugar could cover up the muddy bitterness assaulting your taste buds.

A knock sounded at your door while you toyed with the idea of putting just a 'drop' of booze into your mug. You looked to the clock and were surprised to see it was nearly six. You spent more time standing in the shower spacing out than you thought. But who could blame you? The mental image of the yellow-eyed blobs from your nightmares tearing you apart had dominated a good part of your thoughts during your shower.

Maybe you should call up the doc again and request a refill for your medication. Though, you hated the weird mental haze it created to ease your anxiety. Was hard chasing down miscreants when the world around you was foggy.

"Well, no drunk coffee for me today," you lamented and went to answer the door with mug still in hand.

"Good morning, rookie!" Adachi chimed as you opened the door. 

"Mornin' Adachi-san. Don't know if this is exactly a 'good' one for me at least," you shrugged and let him inside. You thought you were far from 'rookie' status having been in the force for a good few years, but perhaps it was just because you were new and he was in a higher position. 

However, you decided to not let it bother you too much. He was the only decent person you had met so far.

"Oh? What's up, you homesick already?" The detective asked, choosing to relax on your bland couch without being invited to. You shook your head and took another reluctant swig of your poor excuse for a morning pick-me-up. 

"No way. You couldn't pay me enough to go back to that-- uh, ahem. It's not that," You corrected swiftly. There wasn't any way to explain the reason without making you look like a raving lunatic.

You swallowed a lump when you saw his questioning gaze and laughed it off. "Nope, just had a terrible sleep. Maybe it's the new bed, ahaha…" You spun around and went to the coffee pot, occupying yourself with refilling your mug even if it was two thirds full. 

"Hm… funny, the bed doesn't even look like you slept in it," Adachi pointed out nonchalantly and you winced slightly. 

_**Thanks for the observation, Mr. Detective.** _

"You want some coffee? There's still a lot left," you offered, hoping to steer away from the topic of your sleeping habits. 

"Sure, sounds good," he replied and you felt a small wave of relief go through you. 

You dug out another mug from one of the boxes, rinsed it out and poured a portion of coffee into it. 

One of these days, you would find the motivation to actually unpack and clear the disasteriffic mess in your apartment.

"Do you want anything in it? This stuff kinda sucks so I usually load mine up with cream and sugar." You snuck another spoonful of sugar into your own cup and took a sip.

"Nah, that's okay. Black's fine."

"Okaaay. Your funeral~," you said in a sing-song voice and went to hand the steaming mug to him. Hopefully he wouldn't mind getting the 'I need coffee right meow!' design complete with a grouchy cat graphic. It was either that, or the Totoro mug you've had since you were seven…

You really needed to get dishes more suited for your age. 

You sat at the opposite end of the couch, watching with interest as Adachi took an experimental taste and looked ready to spit it out again. His face twisted in disgust and he politely placed the cup on the coffee table in silence. You shuddered with him as he swallowed the offending liquid. 

"Ugh, you weren't kidding. How can you drink that stuff?" Adachi wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and you laughed.

"It's an acquired taste; a taste you pick up when you have a bank account like mine," you smiled wryly.

"Well, how about this," Adachi said as he took your cup and placed it on the table as well, "Next time, we'll do coffee at my place. My bank account isn't anything to sniff at either, but I can still afford the good stuff." He smiled playfully at you and stood up. "But in the meantime, if you're ready to go, we can pick up something to eat and a better cup of coffee at the gas station on the way to the station. My treat."

Adachi held out his hand to you to help you up and you took it.

"Wow, thanks Adachi-san. I promise that I'll pay you back somehow… You've been so nice to me even if we've just met." Honestly, you couldn't remember a time when a guy was this generous to you. 

Then again, you couldn't remember the last time you were around a guy. 

Between work and dealing with your fear of midnight monsters, there just wasn't any time for romance. Short lived high school boyfriends and college flings were the only thing you had experience with. 

_**Wait a minute. I don't even know this guy very well AND he's a co-worker. Why am I thinking like this?** _

You shoved away those thoughts, feeling your face flood with warmth.

"No problem at all," Adachi said, bringing you back to reality, "I have no qualms about helping out a pretty lady." He gave your hand an additional squeeze as he pulled you up then released his grasp, fingertips ghosting your palm before slipping into his pocket. "But of course… it would be nice if you paid back the favor one day," he added with a wink.

His comments swept your brain back to lala land. Your eyes followed him as he stood by the door, your feet rooted to the floor. You were stunned.

_**He thinks I'm pretty?** _

Your mind reeled slightly and you stared at him a moment more. Your hand still tingled where he touched.

Adachi simply smiled and waited for you.

* * *

_**Are you a man… or a woman?** _

The question was burning a hole in your mind as you stared at the attendant working at the Moel gas station. The thought was kind of a nice retreat from thinking about Adachi's words from earlier. 

You took a large bite of your breakfast onigiri in an attempt to silence the offensive query on the tip of your tongue as you leaned against Adachi's car.

The androgynous attendant was willowy with no real feminine curves or masculine angles. There was no other way to describe his/her figure. His/her… _their_ curling hair was of a medium length, the color reminding you of the gray clouds hanging overhead and seemed to make the owner's skin even more pale than it really was. The face was quite hard to place in a gender slot. If they were male, then he would have been a pretty man. If they were female, then she would have been a rather… handsome woman. 

Either way, you were kind of jealous of their clean, graceful hands. Not a drop of grease on them despite working at a gas station. Fingers were long and slender, more suited to elegant things like playing the piano or arranging flowers. And oh, how you wished you had the same luster in your nails that this person did.

To your horror, the being caught your stare, a smile forming on their lips.

"Well hello there. Don't believe I've seen you around. Are you the detective's girlfriend?" The attendant nodded in the general direction of Adachi who was inside the conbini browsing. The voice was challenging to determine too, the sound akin to a woman masquerading as a man or a prepubescent male teen..

Your eyes widened and you shook your head furiously, face red.

"Oh no, no, no… nothing relatively like that!" you sputtered. "I work for the Inaba police too. Just arrived last night!"

The person laughs at you and sets the gas pump back in its spot.

"Ah, I see. Another new resident. Well, welcome to Inaba! I'm sure that you'll be kept busy with work. The police department's been swamped ever since the murders happened. This quiet little town has turned into something of a circus with all the hoopla going on," they grinned and rubbed their hands on their spotless pant legs as if they were full of grime. 

"If you ever need a break, you could always come down here to hang out and take a breather. Mr. Detective over there likes to quite often." They extended a hand to you in a friendly gesture.

You stared at it for a moment, unsure of what to do.

The attendant smirked and instead clapped the hand on your shoulder.

"See you around then, ___(Name)___."

They walked back toward the store and you shivered slightly, a strange queasiness turning your stomach.

You didn't remember giving your name.

* * *

You had definitely picked the wrong time to transfer to Inaba.

"HEY! C'mon guys, it ain't that hard to form a damn line!" you shouted at the masses pushing against you in front of the Marukyu tofu shop. All the frustration was bringing back the ex-yankii in your voice and you weren't liking it one bit.

You held up your arms and flailed about but your voice was lost in the excited chatter of the crowd.

You had been here for a solid seven hours since 9am with maybe one short break before the crowd began to grow as schools let out in the afternoon. Before this, since you had arrived at the station with Adachi, your morning had been filled with introductions, discussion on protocol and patrolling Inaba with an older officer to get the layout.

Needless to say, you were beyond exhausted.

You had half a mind to pull out your gun and fire a shot to make the gawkers all scatter, but you would rather not be written up on your first day for endangering the lives of innocent civilians. 

Though, with the way you were being jostled, you didn't know how much more you could take before socking someone in the throat.

"All right, I'm gonna ask y'all one more time to-- GAH!"

The arm of an overzealous fan whipped up to hold his camera phone over the crowd and effectively punched you in the nose with a surprising amount of force. 

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

_**Fuck.** _

You glared daggers at the offender, but you found that he was too preoccupied with snapping blurry pictures of the storefront in an attempt to capture a glimpse of Rise instead of apologizing profusely to you.

"This is NOT worth it!" you hissed and fought your way to the sidelines to recover, holding your bleeding nose.

You leaned against the weathered wooden wall of the Shiroku Store, tilting your head downwards, thumb and index finger pinching your aching nose as you waited for the blood flow to stop. 

You shut your eyes and sighed heavily, fighting the dizziness threatening to make you drop right there on the sidewalk. The jacket was killing you despite it being cloudy. Not even the skirt could save you from the horrid humidity and the collective body heat in front of Marukyu. And to top it all off, the sickness after leaving the gas station came back in full force, churning your stomach and making your head pound. 

Was it the onigiri this morning? Was the milk or cream in the coffee spoiled? Either way, you didn't think you would be consuming anything from the gas station for a while.

Thankfully, your nose stopped bleeding when you checked a minute later. 

Not so thankfully, your hand and face were stained with crimson.

You took one last look at the crowd and saw another officer had taken your place in crowd control. Sending a silent prayer of gratitude to whatever deity caring to listen, you entered Shiroku to purchase some wipes to clean you up and maybe some medicine too.

"Whoa, what happened to you!?"

Surprisingly, Adachi was inside with his arms full of snacks to buy.

"...Got conked in the nose by a crazy Risette fanboy," you answered flatly-- if somewhat nasally-- and looked around for wipes. You found them on a shelf full of trial-size health items and decided to grab a container of medicine for your ailments. 

"Damn, that kinda sucks… and on your first day too," the detective sympathized as he stood behind you while you paid for your things, "It's okay. It happens to the best of us. My very first day, I got pretty banged up chasing this kid down for purse snatching. Tripped over every single rock that came my way. Bad stuff." 

You heard him let out an embarrassed laugh and you mustered a tiny smile.

"So… what are _you_ doing here, Adachi-san? I thought you were directing traffic?" you asked as you used the anti-theft mirror to see where to clean your face. You looked at his reflection and saw him giving you his trademark smile.

"Uh… well, I needed a break. Standing there in the heat, getting honked and yelled at by angry drivers because of the insanity out there… a hard-working guy like me needs to take a breather from that kind of stuff from time to time."

You highly doubted he had worked all that hard. The last you saw of him, he had been talking to some teenagers, barely paying attention to what he was doing. You didn't even see him show up until about an hour or two after you had arrived on the scene. Detective Dojima had been quite peeved. If he would've seen Adachi now… the man would've been livid.

"I'd take directing irate drivers any day over this crowd control. That shit's bonkers. I can't believe all these people came out just to see some preppy little high school idol dish out tofu. Bunch of creepers," you snorted and poked at your nose with a frown. It was sore and flared an angry red, but showed no signs of being broken. You hoped that karma would come back and kick that fanboy in the balls. Hard.

"Here, take this. I think you deserve a break too!" 

Adachi held a sweating can of milk coffee in front of your face, his arm easily reaching over your head from behind. 

"Huh? Um, thanks Adachi-san." You accepted the beverage, relishing the coldness. You pressed it to your hot cheek and nearly moaned in ecstasy. Maybe you did deserve a break.

You added his good deed to the list of things you owed him for. You would need to figure out a way to repay him for his kindness.

The two of you took refuge in the shade between Shiroku and an abandoned store, sitting behind the bushes hidden from sight. If either of you got caught slacking off, you'd no doubt get into big trouble. 

"Y'know, you look good in that uniform," Adachi noted, watching as you slipped out of your uniform jacket to lounge in your white collared button-up. You laid it beside you, relieved to have the air hit your sweaty skin. To remedy it further, you took off your hat and began fanning yourself with it.

"You think so?" you smiled sheepishly and tucked a stray piece of hair behind your ear. "Honestly, it feels a little weird wearing a new uniform. It's like I'm starting my career all over again. I just hope it turns out better than before." Your voice grew soft at the end as you stared at the coffee can in your hand. 

"Well, I don't know if it'll be any better here. At least in the city, there's more excitement. More opportunity to move up in the ranks, be recognized for heroic deeds, all the things you would think goes on in a police officer's life. But here… it's just a dead end. Out here in the boonies is where careers come to die. It's really boring out here…," Adachi's brows knit together, and you saw something on his face that wasn't something you expected you would see.

He was unhappy.

"That's… kind of a depressing way of looking at it." The corners of your mouth dipped downward as you looked to him. "The whole reason I came out here was to get away from all that 'excitement'. Iwatodai had a little too much for my liking. I didn't have a very good time there," (boy, was that the understatement of the year), "It drove me nuts fearing for my life every day. It got so bad that some days I just couldn't bring myself to go to work. I couldn't take it anymore. I chose to come here of my own volition. It… it sounds like you didn't have that chance, did you?"

Adachi was silent for a moment, his eyes darkening as he stared at the ground.

"Yeah pretty much." He didn't elaborate and instead brought the subject back to you much to your dismay. "Why did you become a police officer in the first place? You should know that it's not for the faint of heart. You would have probably been better off going into something safe like teaching or some kind of desk job if being a cop was so frightening. If you wanted to 'make a difference' like most people want to do these days you could have tried being a doctor or a lawyer. Those jobs pay better anyway." Adachi's smile was something closer to a sneer as the words left his lips. 

The sudden change in mood was almost frightening. How could the conversation fall so fast?

But what he said made you pause in thought. You felt… kind of irked at his suggestions of you being more suited for 'safe' work. As if you weren't capable, or strong enough to hold your own being a police officer. The thought was nearly infuriating.  
It was the Academy all over again, being harassed and made to feel you weren't good enough to pass. It was living with your good for nothing father after your mother had passed from illness as he tried to crush your dreams and tormented you every day of your adolescenthood until you moved to Iwatodai student dorms and attended Gekkoukan.

_'Whadda ya want to be a cop for? You think you can protect anything with those scrawny arms of yours? You'd just be stuck doing traffic work anyway. A dead-end job. You'd make better money pouring booze for a middle-aged business man at a hostess club than you would blowing a whistle at cars.'_

Your father's words still haunted you 'til this day, even after you left him to rot in his life of drinking and participation in shady activities to feed his disgusting habits. Even after the Universe paid him back for his wrongdoings and struck him down with the very bottle he drank from. You shed no tears for him when the news had finally reached your ears. You celebrated your victory with graduating from the Academy.

He was part of the reason you had wanted to join the police. 

You remembered the officer stationed at the koban in your hometown. A kind older gentleman with graying hair and a gentle smile. He had visited your home often to diffuse the domestic disturbances neighbors had reported and had been the one to talk you out of your delinquent days in middle school. 

You had him to thank for guiding you onto a straight path and pulling some strings to get you into the prestigious Gekkoukan High, then the Academy--effectively _away_ from your abusive old man.

Your hand shook as you took a sip of your drink to wet your lips and calm yourself. You hadn't thought of your dad in a long time. Thinking of him was somehow worse than your memories of the creatures you encountered in Port Island. He was the real monster in your eyes.

"You sound like almost everyone I've ever shared my ambitions with, Adachi-san," you laughed, your voice hollow to your ears. "Let's just say I have my reasons. Very _personal_ reasons I'd rather not share just yet. But I will say that I became an officer to prove all those naysayers wrong, that I really did have it in me to protect and serve. I was tired of letting evil win. Whether it was in the form of a person or my own stupid mistakes, I wanted things to change. I wanted to do the right things and get rid of all the bad. When you grow up with evil, you get sick of it real quick."

A warm drop of water fell onto your hand and it took you a moment before you realized it came from you. A steady stream of hot tears were flowing from your eyes and down your cheeks. You swiped at them furiously, trying to swallow the thick ball of emotion lodged in your throat. Luckily, this time you had went for the waterproof makeup after last night.

"Oh geeze… I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm sorry!" Adachi seemed genuinely alarmed seeing your tears. He rubbed at the back of his head and shifted uncomfortably, looking ashamed for what he had said.

Any irritation you had felt toward him dissolved and you placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's fine, Adachi-san. I'm alright. I just wasn't expecting the sudden flood of memories about the subject, that's all."

Really the situation should have been the other way around with him reassuring you but you didn't mind. The look in his eyes was clue enough that he wasn't sure how to handle these things. 

"You sure? Man, look at me...making a cute girl cry so easily. I'm horrible, haha…" Adachi avoided your gaze, his face a billboard for the internal battle within his mind. 

You sniffled and wiped away the remaining tears, gathering up the courage to ask what was on the tip of your tongue.

"Hey Adachi-san," you began, catching his attention, "You wanna help me with that bottle of sake in my fridge tonight? I could use a drink when I get off of work."

Your offer put the smile back on his face.

"That sounds gre--"

"ADACHI! THERE YOU ARE, YOU SLIPPERY BASTARD!"

The smile was gone just as soon as it had come and the both of you jumped at the deafening roar of a purple-faced Dojima. 

He was royally pissed.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing slacking off at a time like this? Didn't I tell you not to leave your post!? Get the fuck off your lazy ass right now; we've got a job to do!" 

Adachi leaped to his feet in an instant with a "Yes, Sir!"

The elder detective then turned his glare onto you and you flinched.

"And you! I know you're new here, but I think you're experienced enough to know that when you're assigned a task, you're not to abandon it without notice. I'll let it slide for now, but if I catch you shirking your responsibilities again, I'm writing you up. Don't let this slacker rub off on you." Dojima stabbed a finger in Adachi's direction and you saw the younger man shrink. "Now get back to work."

Detective Dojima gave you another hard look before turning on his heels and walking back to Marukyu. It was only until he disappeared from sight that you released the breath you didn't even realize you were holding.

You _really_ did not want to get on Dojima's bad side.

"Sorry for getting you in trouble. I have a feeling Dojima-san's gonna work me to the bone tonight so… raincheck on that drink?" Adachi asked, hope flashing in his eyes.

"Y-yeah, that'd be fine. I'll just have a glass in your honor then. The rest of the bottle I'll save for when you're free," you promised and the man broke out into a grin. You then gathered your jacket, replaced the hat on your head and pushed yourself to your feet, swaying instantaneously.

Fortunately, Adachi caught you before you could fall, and you suddenly found yourself very close to the detective's body.

"Whoa there! Are you all right? Maybe you should take off early, you don't look so good," he observed with a frown. His cool wrist was at your forehead, and you flushed from the sudden contact.

"I-I'm okay, Adachi-san. Probably just a little cold. New atmosphere after all," you answered weakly, your head spinning as you caught the scent of coffee and musk off his clothing. 

"You sure? I could fry an egg on your head; you're feeling pretty hot. Maybe I should take you home."

_**You're not making it any better… Please stop touching me…** _

At that exact moment, the two of you easily heard the gruff shout of Adachi's name from Dojima's mouth.

"Damn it…" Adachi looked torn as he looked toward the street then back at you. Seeing that look helped you reach a decision. You straightened up and stepped out of his hold, leaning against the wall of the store to keep upright.

"Don't worry about me, Adachi-san. I'll be fine once I take the medicine I bought. It'll be enough to keep me afloat until I clock off. I don't want to get you into more trouble than you already are." You smiled softly at his concerned face, trying with all your strength to appear the picture of good health despite your boiling insides.

Adachi responded unexpectedly, closing the distance between you again and holding your gaze with his dark smokey eyes. The color was almost obsidian in the shadows. 

"You're such a good girl. Trying to be selfless even when you're obviously ill… it's cute. Just take care of yourself, all right? Can't share that drink with you if you end up in the hospital from overworking your system," he whispered, breath fanning over your face in the close proximity. 

His stare was smoldering.

You shifted from foot to foot in discomfort. Once again, it was as if he were a completely different person. However, even your nervousness couldn't douse the spark of interest inside of you. You wanted to know more about him and it was quite obvious that he was interested in you as well.

"Okay. Uh… I'll t-try not to push myself too much," you stammered, averting your eyes.  
Adachi chuckled and grazed your heated cheek with his fingers before patting it gently.

"Good to hear. If you don't mind… could I have your cell phone number? I'd like to be able to check up on you and make sure your condition doesn't get worse later on. If not, I could always just knock on your door. After all, what are neighbors for?" He took out his own phone gazed at you with an expectant look in his eyes.

You wondered if there was another reason he wanted your number. With the way he was staring at you, it wouldn't be farfetched to guess that his intentions weren't restricted to just being a good neighbor.

"S-sure?" You recited your number for him and he typed it in with a small smile. "My phone's dead right now, but I'll make sure to charge it when I get home. Uh… g-guess I'll talk to you later?" Slowly, you met his gaze again, shyly biting your lower lip. 

"Definitely. Hope you feel better soon," Adachi smiled, affectionately squeezing your shoulder before stepping back. 

When he was finally out of your sight and personal bubble, you sighed and leaned your head back against the wall. 

"Jesus, that was intense… what's his deal?" you breathed, feeling your heart thumping a mile a minute as well as a weird tingling between your legs. You hadn't been looked upon like that in a very long time. 

You wiped the sweat from your brow and opened the bottle of medicine, downing the contents and chasing the bitterness with the rest of your coffee. 

"C'mon, get it together, girl!" You smacked your cheeks and shrugged your jacket back on, straightening yourself.

As you attempted to get back to your duties, you couldn't help but feel incredibly dirty and nervous after the exchange with Adachi. Those damn eyes were seared into your mind and you couldn't get rid of the image if you tried.


	3. Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which weird things start happening again and our favorite detective offers his comfort...
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even you.

_His eyes…_

_Those dark orbs had burned into your soul with hunger like a wolf who had been starved for months on end eyeing a fresh piece of meat._

_He was there in your mind._

_He haunted your dreams with that crooked smile and lingering gaze._

_Holding his hand out to you, he beckoned._

_"Join me," he said, or rather, commanded._

_The image of him seemed to change before your eyes, flickering as if switching between two different channels on a television continuously._

_Static filled your head as you watched his irises danced between smoldering charcoal and a sinister yellow._

_His messy dark hair turned long and wild, wrinkled suit into an ornate kimono stained crimson and partially blackened with filth._

_The smile upon his lips grew into a menacing grin, one that hinted toward nothing but wickedness and disaster._

_You hesitated._

_The world behind this man twisted and crumbled into an unrecognizable void of red and black._

_To follow him would be a descent into darkness._

_And yet something was pushing you toward him, some unseen force tethering you to him._

_'We belong with him,' a voice hissed in your head._

_Destiny was calling._

_But would you heed the call?_

_Slowly, you began to reach out for his hand…_

* * *

With a yelp, you shot up off the couch. 

You pressed a hand to your frightened heart, gasping for breath as you tried to make sense of what you had dreamt about. 

The chilling stare of that man was something you could not easily push away.

"What the hell? Ugh, no more sake before bed," you sighed and licked your parched lips. 

The headache from earlier had never left and made your head pulse with each movement as you stood to grab a drink of water. 

The television served as the only source of illumination in the apartment. You skirted around the moving boxes as best you could, swearing sharply when you stubbed a toe or two before reaching the kitchen sink. 

Outside, rain slapped against the windows. The cacophonous symphony of mother nature's wrath overpowered the chattering of the news anchors on TV.

You rinsed out the glass you had used for your boozy headache remedy and filled it to the brim with cold tap water. 

Just what was that dream?

It was definitely different from the usual nightmares. The yellow eyes were there, but this was just something entirely new. And why the heck was Adachi in it?

"I've seen so much of him lately that he's starting to invade my dreams," you smirked. 

While the dream was disturbing to say the least, it was a little better than being eaten by blobs. Those things existed. They were real fucking creatures you had the dumb luck to avoid back in Iwatodai.

But this? Crazy kimono clad men and the end of the world? Nothing to worry about as far as you knew. You hadn't run into those quite yet. 

Well, except for the world ending. That happened too. 

_Almost._

Your cellphone rang in celebration of its resurrection, catching your attention. 

You quickly shuffled to the phone, disconnecting it from the charger and checking the ID. Of course, it was just a number unregistered in your contacts, but you flipped it open anyway. There was only one person you knew of who would care to give you a call.

"Hello?" you answered, your voice slightly hoarse from the exhaustion plaguing you.

"Hey, you're alive!" Adachi exclaimed happily into your ear.

You clutched your forehead and leaned against the counter with a groan.

"Ugh, just barely… My head feels like it's being drilled into with a jackhammer…" Your buzz had long since worn off but the consequences of your choice in 'medicine' added to the thumping in your temples.

"Well, I'm finally home and free from that slave-driver… Er, do you want me to come over?"

You thought about it for a moment before shaking your head. A minute of silence passed before it occurred to you that he couldn't see the reply.

"Mmn… I dunno, Adachi-san… I think I need some more rest…"

"Oh, I see…" The disappointment was apparent in his voice and you felt a little bad for denying him. He'd been working his butt off and deserved a rest too. But at the same time, you didn't know if you had the strength to play hostess.

"Sorry, but we could try tomorrow," you offered.

"Okay, sounds good. Get some sleep then. Don't let me hold you back from recovering." You heard him mutter something about his own selfishness and stupidity before he bid you goodnight.

You downed the rest of your water and clicked through the multiple notifications on your phone after hanging up. A bit of guilt was chipping away at your mind, but not enough to call Adachi back and invite him over. What would you do at this hour anyway? You would both just be prolonging a much needed night's sleep.

"Man, is this guy bored or what?" 

You shook your head as you read through the missed calls and texts. It was the same number over and over again. Adachi's. 

Nearly all the texts were similar:

'Hey!'

'Are you okay?'

'Should I come over?' 

The characters on your phone began to blur as your eyes grew tired. You blinked away the persistent sting, saved Adachi's number, and snapped your phone shut with a small snicker.

"Sheesh, doesn't he have anybody else to text? A little lonely, aren't you, Detective?"

You seriously wondered if Adachi did any real work if he had the time to check up on you every five minutes. However, you were slightly flattered. It wasn't everyday that someone took interest in you like this. 

And though you hated to admit it, you were lonely too.

Setting your cup in the sink to wash later, you went back to the television. The evening news was just wrapping up.

"Make sure to tune in to our morning news report at 6am! The time is now midnight--"

With a hiss at the cheery reporter, you clicked off the TV, plunging the room into darkness. The sound of the rain battering against the building filled the entire apartment. You hoped you would be able to sleep through the noise.

"Fuck, I better get my ass to bed," you grumbled. You paid for it after all. The couch was a poor substitute for the real thing. As you took the first dragging step toward the bed, the TV screen lit up. You froze and whipped your head back to stare at it.

"The hell is wrong with this thing?" 

You watched as a familiar figure gyrated in the fuzzy yellow negative space. The image was clearer this time around, and you knew right away that the girl was Rise Kujikawa, the idol. With how often the broadcasting company liked to spam her Quelorie Magic commercial on the tube, you were fairly certain this was Risette.

The camera panned in, focusing on the voluptuous curves of her bust and hips. The tiny bikini she wore left little to the imagination. You felt nothing but disgust for the sight. The media shouldn't exploit teenage girls in such a way.

"Okay, as much as I love staring at underage tits, (which you really didn't), this is getting weird…" You stomped over to the television and yanked out the cord.

It didn't turn off.

"Huh?" You slapped at the sides in vain, but the screen didn't flicker once. How was this possible? You remembered this happening last night as well. The memory was hazy and you had written it off as a product of exhaustion, but… now you weren't so sure.

As creeped out as you were, frustration began to simmer within you. Your body was screaming for you to get to the nearest bed-like object, threatening to collapse on the floor unless you found one soon.

"C'mon you fuckin' thing, TURN OFF!" Without thinking, you took an angry swing at the screen and hit the glass-

-only to find your arm being sucked halfway into the TV.

The surface rippled as if you had punched a pool of water, but your fingers never hit a single piece of glass or circuitry. It felt strangely empty inside.

You wiggled your fingers, feeling nothing beyond the pit of emptiness you had dipped your hand into. No pain, no electrocution…

Your hand was _in_ the TV.

A part of you had somehow managed to _enter_ the television _without_ injury.

Cautiously you moved closer, craning your neck to look behind the flat screen. You didn't know quite what to expect, but when you saw that your hand was not on the other side you stepped back and looked to your disappearing arm in shock.

After staring for a good solid minute with your mouth agape like a gasping fish, you did what any rational adult would do.

"AHHHHHHH!" you screamed at the top of your lungs, jerking back your limb. The screen glimmered and faded to black in an instant. Your violent reaction caused you to knock into the low coffee table, the edge catching the back of your knees and sending you tumbling ass-over-tea-kettle.

You grunted as you rolled over the table, your body wedging in the tiny foot-space between the couch and table.

"Shit!" you growled, an uncomfortable dampness spreading quickly over your abdomen. You lifted your head to see that you had taken the cold remnants of your instant noodle dinner with you in your feat of (un)gracefulness.

Fuck, you were way too tired for this.

No sooner had you painstakingly wiggled out of the cramped space than the doorbell began to buzz with a rhythm of urgency.

"You okay in there!?" you heard Adachi shout through the door between his rapid knocking.

"Just peachy!" you hollered, vehemently spewing four letter words under your breath as you picked the stray noodles off your shirt and threw away the soup container. You rubbed your bruised lower-back and half stumbled to the door.

Maybe what had happened was just some drunken hallucination. Was there wormwood in that sake?

...Was that even legal in this country?

You shook your head, clearing the thoughts rattling around in your brain.

"It's just my intoxicated imagination. There's no other explanation for it unless this place is haunted… Or maybe I'm just really fucking tired," you mumbled as you flicked on the lights and fumbled with the lock. The latter was more likely than the former by a landslide.

When you opened the door, a panicked Adachi was on you, patting you over and assessing your well-being. The second he touched you, your headache seemed to grow even worse. 

"What happened? You're not hurt are you?" he questioned, keeping his hands clamped on your shoulders as he peered over your head to scan the room like a meerkat on high alert. 

Your face flushed a brilliant shade of stop sign.

"I'm fine! I-uh… I was watching a scary movie! Yeah, just one of those shitty jumpscares. The guy just came out of nowhere and-- um, sorry for making such a fuss." 

The words died on your lips as the detective stared at you with a skeptical look on his face. 

"Okay…" Bewilderment creased Adachi's brow before he sighed. "Hm, oh well. I guess you seem fine to me." 

He gave a small shrug and lessened his grip on you. "Sheesh, don't scare me like that! Try and keep the noise level down a few notches. The other neighbors aren't as forgiving as I am, y'know. Heh, maybe next time you decide to watch a horror movie I should be over to hold your hand through it, scaredy cat."

Adachi poked at your cheek with a half-cocked smile and chuckled when you swatted his hand away. 

"Sh-shut up... I'm not a little kid. It just surprised the hell out of me," you stammered.

You looked back to sneak a peek at the TV. It sat in dormant innocence but you knew better.

The sight did nothing to soothe your uneasiness.

"Oh man, what happened to your shirt?"

You turned back to Adachi with a groan and waved a dismissive hand. 

"It's… it's just been a long night, Adachi-san." You replied, slumping your shoulders. You were just too enervated to explain. Why couldn't this night be over already? "I'm really sorry about disturbing you. I promise it won't happen again. I know that it hasn't been easy for you tonight either. I don't want to keep you up longer than necessary."

Your hands fiddled with the wet hem of your pajama top as you cast a contrite look up at the detective. 

"Hey, no problem at all. I just wanted to see if you were all right. I was really worried when I heard that scream. You don't have to feel bad about it," he replied with a gentle touch to your arm. 

Warmth flooded your cheeks and tingled throughout your body in an instant. You bit your bottom lip, the corners of your mouth rising. 

"Thank you. It's pretty rare to have someone around who actually gives a shit about me these days," you laughed softly. 

"Seriously? That's just too hard to believe. I-I mean… you're still young! You could easily have friends to hang out with or a line of guys falling over themselves trying to get your attention. Someone like you should be cared about by somebody." Adachi's gaze reached an intensity that made you want to hide under your covers and scream your embarrassment into a pillow. 

But no, you couldn't look away.

There was a strange fluttering in your chest as his words bounced around inside your brain. Was he just saying these things to make you feel better? Or… was there something more hiding in between the lines?

You found yourself giggling nervously.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm exactly the opposite of what you think I am." You shook your head and took a step back with a sad smile. "I've never had any time to devote to a real relationship of any kind whether it be with friends or men. These things have never been easy for me… It's true a girl my age shouldn't be so lonely, but hey… that was the card I was dealt, so I've just gotten used to it."

You heaved a great sigh and broke eye contact. 

There it was again. What was it about this man that made you crack open that dark box holding all of your fears, your past, your secret wishes? The conversation by Shiroku came to mind once more. You had control over what you wanted to omit from the conversation. You knew what not to say that would cast you in the limelight as a lunatic.

But there was no lying about your life and sugarcoating all the sad little details. For some reason, you couldn't just smile and blatantly spill false accounts of enjoying the things women your age did. Being around him brought the honesty out of you, and you weren't sure if it was a good thing. You barely knew him after all.

"But… I appreciate your concern. Really I do," you added quietly. Before Adachi could react, you decided it would be best to just end this conversation. It would just spiral into a deeply depressing subject you never wished to drag him into. You went to stand by the door, putting your hand on it to send the message across.

"You should get back to your room, Adachi-san. It's late, we're both exhausted, and--"

Without warning, the man caught your other hand.

You gasped as a jolt of electricity shot up your arm at his touch, a hot wave of nausea hitting you like a frieght train. Your knees nearly buckled until Adachi pulled you to him with a quick tug. He held you close, one hand still holding yours while the other rested on your opposite arm. Your bodies never touched, but you were near enough to feel the heat radiating off of him.

Voices filled your mind all at once, static words between rapidly cycling frequencies as if someone was playing with the tuning dial on a radio. There was no isolating one voice; it was all a garbled mess. But only a few coherent words surfaced.

_**I am--** _

_**Thou art--** _

_**Iza--** _

_**We…** _

_**Belong…** _

You struggled against the strange voices. With the sensory overload, it was hard to stay sharp in your current predicament. 

"A-Adachi-san, wh-what are you--"

"__(name)__, I know we hardly know each other yet but... I just want you to know that I'm here if you ever need me. If you need help, I can help you. If you want to talk, I'll lend you and ear and a shoulder to cry on. If you're lonely… then maybe I can be that 'somebody' for you," Adachi whispered. 

You were a prisoner to his eyes once more. The mysterious depths of those coal orbs held things that you wanted to know, things you wanted to uncover. You remembered that wolf-like stare as well as the empty gaze of a man unhappy with his life. You wanted to know more.

_**Belong…** _

_**Belong…** _

_**His!** _

"What…?" You were mostly asking the voices, however the snippets of Adachi's words in between the babbling were jarring as well.

"Uh- that is… if you'd let me…," he paused, his eyes darting over your reddening face as if searching for something until he cleared his throat sheepishly and blushed. "I-I'm sorry! Gosh, what am I saying!?" 

Gone was the intensity that had drawn you in almost magnetically. The awkward man you had acquaintanced yourself with was back. Oh, how strange Tohru Adachi was…

"I mean, I can be your friend! Unless… well, unless you'd like to- ack! N-nevermind, forget I said anything. Uh, well don't forget _everything_ , just the last part!" Adachi finished with a weary breath and bowed his head slightly. 

__Your head was spinning with confusion. Just what was he trying to get at? Was that an attempt at asking you out?_ _

__The thought made you feel even more feverish._ _

__"Um… thank you?"_ _

__As unsure as you were, it was still clear that Adachi wanted to show you some sort of companionship. As a friend or… something more, that part was unclear; however, it warmed your heart to think that he didn't want you feeling lonely._ _

__"Well, I… I just know what it feels like to be alone that's why I…," Adachi sighed with a troubled glint in his eye before letting you go. Your hand was still warm from the contact. "Anyway, I guess I'll be going now. You have a restful sleep, okay?" The words spilled from his lips quickly, leaving his previous statement unfinished._ _

__With a short incline of his head, Adachi turned to leave._ _

__"Wait!" You reached out, snagging his sleeve. He twisted around in surprise with a confused expression._ _

__You wanted to assure him about tomorrow's promise of a drink, to make that lonesome look disappear. But as your body moved forward, the dizziness struck again like a bolt of lightning. Without any support, the strength left your legs and you began to fall._ _

__Time seemed to slow, and as you fell, for a split second the image of Adachi distorted and flashed to the frightening man in your dreams._ _

___**Iza-** _ _ _

___**Iza-** _ _ _

___**Iza...** _ _ _

__Adachi's arms wrapped around your body and he called your name frantically as shadows crept around the edges of your vision. Your head was on fire and Adachi sounded so far away…_ _

__You exhaled a single name before plunging into the abyss of unconsciousness._ _


	4. Fever Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You need a Drowsee with Dream Eater... 
> 
> Too bad this isn't a crossover.

_The fog seemed endless._

_No matter where you went, it surrounded you, obscured your vision, and suffocated you with its oppressing thickness. You could barely see your own hand just inches away from your face, much less the path ahead._

_If you could call the jumble of red blocks beneath your feet a 'path'..._

_However, the splash of color was your only anchor in this world as you continued onward._

_Your footfalls echoed with each uneasy step. The cubes looked as if they were floating in the space, but when you stepped on them they stayed firmly in place, no sinking or threatening to fall away into an unseen abyss._

_'Where am I?'_

_Hearing your thought reverberating all around you as if you had shouted into a deep cavern made you jump. You had never opened your mouth and yet your inner voice had somehow been projected._

_'Is this some kind of dream?'_

_You tried to remember what had happened before this, but your brain felt like it was full of static and there was a bizarre buzzing in your ears the more you tried to focus on your memory. It was like having an entire hive of angry bees for a head!_

_It was then that another voice --neither male nor female-- permeated the atmosphere, calling out your name. The sound rang clear as a chiming bell, encompassing the foggy expanse surrounding you and filling every fiber of your being._

_Goosebumps prickled at your arms and the hairs at the nape of your neck raised in awareness that someone or something was watching you._

_You spotted a silhouette just ahead of you, but you couldn't make out more than a shadowy outline._

_'Who are you!?'_

_Your mouth moved this time, but no sound could be coaxed from your vocal cords. Your mind was doing the talking for you._

_The being merely chuckled and beckoned at you teasingly. You suppressed a shiver as the sound brushed against your consciousness like silk._

_You felt violated._

_"Shall we play a game? You can guess… or perhaps we can play hide and seek if you are brave enough?"_

_The shadow slunk back into the fog and you cried out in vain for it to 'Wait!'_

_You broke into a sprint._

_The fog was as thick as ever the further you travelled, but the crimson blocks soon formed into one uniform road to guide you._

_The strange voice hadn't disappeared and had taken to taunting you. Your name was whispered, shouted and chanted from every direction, from next to your ear to far away in the hidden distance._

_You wanted to scream but you pushed on to the end of the path._

_Your feet slowed to a stop before a large, severely equilateral square door the same shade of retina-burning red as the road._

_Something waited behind it; you could just feel it..._

_With one cautious touch, the door moved smoothly and slowly away from the center, circling open section by section like a shutter on the lense of a camera._

_You stepped into the room and the door hastily folded shut with a jarring 'clang!' that almost stopped your heart. A cold sinking sensation dragged at your stomach as the thought of being trapped in fully took root in your understanding._

_Your eyes were drawn to the only object occupying the room, an impressive circular bronze mirror dominating the heart. Eight bronze petals radiated around the highly polished surface like rays of light. For some reason, it looked oddly familiar. But you couldn't recall a time you had ever seen a mirror like this._

_The droning in your brain prevented you from bringing up your memories, but the object was nevertheless nostalgic to you in some weird way._

_You walked up to it, marveling at the sheer size of this thing. If you had to guess, both the height and width were equal to three times your own height!_

_Your gaze fell onto your reflection, but something was off._

_Your body went rigid._

_The doppelganger was an exact copy of you from head to toe… save for the chilling yellow eyes._

_You knew those eyes, the very same irises that the midnight monsters possessed, and the eyes of the man from your nightmares as well._

_It was you… but NOT you._

_The mirror image smiled at you pleasantly and you began to tremble. The muscles of your own face hadn't moved at all. Its smile possessed a sickening sweetness that made your stomach churn._

_The more you stared at it, the more you began to liken it to a disturbing caricature of yourself._

_You raised a shaking hand to press against the cold surface, seeing the reflection do the same as it should have. Your palms met, but were separated by the glassy metal._

_'What the hell is this? That's definitely not me…'_

_The gigantic mirror could be some kind of trick, like a television screen that some weirdo was using to project this false edit of you._

_"Oh, but I AM you!"_

_You opened your mouth in a silent scream when your 'reflection' spoke. You yanked back your hand but to your horror, the thing had reached out of the mirror and grabbed your wrist in an excruciating freezing grip._

_You staggered backwards and effectively pulled the evil twin onto your side of the world. She took hold of your other arm, trapping you with her frightening demonic strength._

_'Get away from me!'_

_Her mouth broadened into a shit-eating grin complete with a set of yellowed, pointed teeth. Your soundless screams continued as she wrestled you to the ground easily. She hovered over you on her knees, hands pinning your wrists down at either side of your head._

_If this was a dream, you pleaded to yourself to wake up. Over and over again, you tried to will yourself awake, but to no avail._

_"There's no escape! No running from yourself! Face me and submit!" she laughed, her voice now a distorted dual-toned version of your own. Her face changed, turning more sunken and skeletal by the second._

_'No, no! You're not me! Stop it!'_

_You kicked wildly, only serving to anger the imposter. She released your wrists and wrapped her bony fingers around your throat. She squeezed the delicate flesh, giving you a single shake to slam the back of your head into the floor._

_"Why are you being so mean!? You are me and I am you! I AM, I AM, I AM!"_

_The rear of your skull repeatedly kissed the ground to punctuate her shrieks. You struggled to stay conscious. The lack of air and possibility of a concussion gave you tunnel vision._

_Your limbs felt heavy, your body was growing cold, but you weakly placed your hands over hers in an attempt to loosen her hold._

_'I… I'm not really into this kind of shit… so you can let go now, bitch!'_

_You spat in her face and she let out an enraged scream that also sounded like she was in pain._

_She grit her teeth, the action causing her face to crack. From the corners of her mouth, her skin began to split. The cracks spider-webbed upwards over her cheeks, nose, eyelids and up her forehead. Until finally, the right side of her face crumbled and fell away like the fragile porcelain of a china doll._

_However, her head was far from hollow._

_Underneath was your own face, albeit normal this time, her eye a softened shade of gold that differed from the harsh yellow of the fiendish half._

_'...Wh-what…?'_

_You stared at the serene expression on this new side, such a bold contrast to the hateful grin on the other. When she spoke, this calm, almost beautiful side was independent from the monster._

_"Don't give in… find the truth… find me…," she whispered gently._

_The doppelganger's right hand dropped from your neck while the other stayed in place._

_'Huh? Truth?'_

_Another ear-piercing shriek came from the demon as she covered the unmasked side with her free hand._

_"YoU WILL cArRy oUt MY WiSheS! YOU WILL SUBMIT!"_

_You could feel your windpipe collapsing under the pressure of her grasp. Tears squeezed from the corners of your eyes as you fought for air. You clawed at her hand, body jerking violently._

_And then-_

_-nothing…_

_Her twisted laughter followed you as you succumbed to the darkness._

* * *

Someone was screaming.

If they didn't shut the hell up, you would make it your sworn duty to make them do so.

Your head ached, your body was spent, your throat was dry and raw… you were decidedly hungover from last night.

When you finally opened your eyes, you discovered that it was in fact yourself who was screaming.

You were clinging to someone, your heart pounding and a sheen of cold sweat on your skin. Your hair felt uncomfortably damp against your head.

"________-chan ! It's okay! C'mon, snap out of it!"

Adachi hugged you tightly, one of his hands smoothing over your back to calm you.

You immediately stopped as the feeling of the man's arms embracing you brought you back to reality.

Gasping, you drew away from him rather violently as a healthy dose of scarlet decorated your face. You winced when your back met an unfamiliar metal barred headboard.

"Wh-wh… what happened? Where am I?" you stammered, your wild gaze travelling around the stark white room. 

This wasn't your bed, nor was this even your apartment. And the flimsy white gown [1] you were wearing definitely wasn't yours.

You hissed at a sudden pain in your hand and blinked at the needle half hanging out of your skin. The medical tape strapped over it prevented the object from dislodging completely, but it had been disturbed enough to cause a fresh bead of blood to well up from the injection site.

Your eyes followed the tubes hooked up to it back to an IV bag filled with clear liquid. A heart monitor sat next to it that beeped quite rapidly in time with your pulse.

"Okay… don't panic too much, all right? We're at the Inaba Municipal Hospital. I took you here when you passed out that night you were sick. You had a crazy fever, and I really didn't know what to do so I figured this was the best option. It's… it's been about three days since then."

Your jaw dropped.

"Th-th-th… Three _days_!?"

Adachi nodded, his mouth set in a grim line.

"Yeah, today's Saturday. You've missed quite a bit, missy. Man, you have no idea how worried I was! The doctor said your fever was 40.5℃! [2] I… I was so afraid that you'd…" He shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. "I'm just glad you're awake now. How are you feeling?"

Honestly, you were still floored by the fact that you had slept through three days without waking. But with such a high fever, perhaps that was for the best. 

"...Well, I feel like absolute shit. A fever demon from Hell made me her bitch for three frickin' days! I'm tired, my body is screaming, and I want the biggest fucking beef bowl on this planet to satisfy my empty stomach," you grumbled and gave him a deadpan stare.

You couldn't help being grumpy after all this. With that creepy dream still fresh in your mind and the frightfully real feeling of your throat being crushed by that _thing_ … needless to say, you were still on edge.

You quietly wondered if there was some kind of medication for freaky twisted dreams. If this kept going, you weren't sure how long you would last. The dreams were becoming more and more terrorizing and surreal. God, how you prayed they wouldn't get any worse!

Adachi smiled weakly and patted your shoulder.

"Good to see you haven't lost your personality, heh. I can't really help you with much, but I do know the perfect place to get that beef bowl you're hankering for. Of course… that's if they release you. Uh, and if you want to… y'know… go with me." He blushed and scratched at his cheek, a hand slipping into his pocket like an insecure high school boy asking you to prom.

The heart monitor started picking up again.

At first you could do nothing but laugh hysterically. The blood in your brain was quickly rushing away to other insignificant places as you imagined going out hand-in-hand with the detective to… breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?

A quick glance at the clock on the wall told you it would be a late dinner depending on how long the hospital wanted to hold you for an additional exam and whatnot. Currently, it was 6:30 PM.

By the time your laughter expired, Adachi was already looking dejected. Seeing this alarmed you. You quickly cleared your throat and mentally slapped yourself for the lack of self-control.

"Y-yeah! Sorry! Um, that'd be awesome!" you blurted, face on fire with embarrassment. 

Instantly, Adachi exhaled a breath of relief and brightened. 

"Okay, great! Hopefully you can check out tonight; the place we're going closes at 9."

You nodded wordlessly. Your mind repeated 'date' like a broken record despite the fact that neither of you had expressed the outing would be one. A part of you argued that this would be just a caring co-worker trying to make you feel better, but the look on Adachi's face said otherwise with the way he stared at you.

Those eyes were honest.

He liked you.

And the fresh flowers on your bedside table only served to support this theory. While they could have been from anyone else, the one who came to mind was Adachi. You hadn't spent more time around anyone but him. You figured that was enough to warrant an obligatory bouquet to a sick co-worker/neighbor since he was the only one you socialized with.

A quick knock at the door ripped you away from your swooning.

A female nurse in a white uniform dress and pink blazer came in with a clipboard in her hands. She looked to you in surprise, her luscious rosy lips forming a small 'o'. 

"You're awake! Ah, I told you to call me if she woke up, Adachi-san," she chastised and was at your side in the blink of an eye. 

"S-sorry about that!" Adachi apologized and stepped back out of her way as she took out the necessary equipment to check your vitals. 

"_________-san, it's good to see you're finally up. My name is Sayoko Urehara; I've been watching over you since you came in three days ago. You gave us quite the scare with that fever of yours," she said while running a thermometer over your forehead. She checked the little screen when it beeped and smiled. "Looks like you've finally broken out of it. 37.0℃ [3], perfect."

The nurse made a note of it on her clipboard and put on her stethoscope.

You felt your cheeks heat when she parted the folds of your gown to press the flat chestpiece over your heart. Your cleavage was just hanging out there for Adachi to see. A furtive peek at him confirmed your fears. He was ogling you and failing hard at concealing it. 

"Hmm, a little quick, but I think I know why," Urehara chuckled with a knowing wink and pulled away to scribble on your chart. "Ne, you're pretty lucky to have a boyfriend like him coming around to check on you everyday and bring you flowers. I wish I had someone like that," she sighed wistfully and put a hand to her flushed cheek. 

"But we're not-!"

"-dating!"

Your words mashed with Adachi's as you both cried out at the same time. Realizing this, the two of you simultaneously stopped and turned away with equally red faces.

The raven haired woman giggled and secured a blood pressure cuff to your arm. 

You just prayed that this would be over very soon so you could escape the nurse's awkward teasing.

* * *

End notes:  
[1]: the flimsy hospital gown is kind of more like a thin yukata in my mind.  
[2]: 40.5 degrees C is about 105 degrees F!  
[3]: 37.0 degrees C is 98.6 degrees F, a normal healthy temp


	5. Rainy Day Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoo finally outta the hospital! 
> 
> What's a better way to celebrate than going out for a huge fatty beef bowl and beers?
> 
> ...Smart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the pre-written chapter dump is finished here lol. After this, I can't guarantee consistent updates but I am like halfway through the first draft of ch. 6. 
> 
> Yeah. 
> 
> And then my inner cringy critic will come out to pick everything apart so I'll be busy trying to fend that off while simultaneously be trying to throw together something coherent to this idea in my head.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy! And watch out for a bit of food porn ahead lol. I blame Shoukugeki no Soma. 
> 
> And yeah, kinda unrealistic for a sick person to do this and be fine-ish but this is fiction and I already wrote this over too many times to care.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing but some of the ideas. And certainly don't own you.

* * *

An hour dragged by full of poking, prodding, and the constant question of your current status in both health and your relationship with Adachi-- the latter you denied fiercely with a red face each time.

The doctor was baffled seeing you had no symptoms of a cold or flu, nor any history of a chronic bodily ailment that could cause the high-grade fever you had suffered. He settled with attributing it to stress and advised you to not overwork yourself, maybe even search for some kind of relaxing outlet to find release.

Yeah, okay. If only flower arranging could dispel the demons from your dreams…

The only real useful thing to come out of the doc's mouth was permission for you to have the next day off to recuperate. He'd have a letter with his stamp of approval sent to your employer.

Once he was satisfied, you had the opportunity to take a much needed shower in the little bathroom connected to your room. You only had cheap bar soap and a tiny sample of shampoo to work with, but it was enough. Being able to wash off the scent and grime of accumulated old sweat in the hard to reach places was absolute heaven.

When you finished, you were relieved to see that Adachi had been generous enough to retrieve a fresh change of clothes and your purse from your apartment. He explained he had brought them the night you had been dropped off, even going so far as to lock up your apartment for you.

You just couldn't believe your luck to have met someone as helpful as him. He was just too good to be true…

Were the gods finally letting something good happen to you for once? You certainly hoped so.

As you dressed in the cheerful knee-length sundress and thin knitted cardigan-- both brand new from your emergency run to Junes-- you felt incredibly bubbly. You were beyond exhausted, maybe even slightly anemic as the bright colors contrasted sharply against the unhealthy pallor of your skin. However, knowing that Adachi had picked out your outfit made your stomach flutter.

And then it dawned on you.

His hands had also touched the lacy unmentionables you were wearing underneath!

_**Wonderful… just wonderful…**_

He probably knew what color your underwear was without the aid of rainwater this time.

The color returned to your cheeks momentarily as you let that fact sink in.

The last fifteen minutes of your time at the hospital was spent filling out forms and giving your insurance information that you couldn't provide while you were knocked out. Thankfully you had found your wallet hiding in a coat pocket while getting ready for your first work day that morning. 

Adachi bought hot coffee and small snacks from the vending machines to help give the both of you a little boost of energy to power through it.

When everything was turned into the front desk, you finally checked out of the hospital.

"Uwaah, I can't believe that took so long!" you groaned, stretching your arms and rolling your stiff shoulders.

The weather outside was atrocious. Rain clouds darkened the evening sky even more as a deluge of large raindrops spilled from their bellies. Adachi loaned you his yellow raincoat while he took the umbrella, again letting you share it with him. 

You wondered why he didn't think to grab your jacket that you'd tossed on your couch back home when it was pouring like this. But if he really did feel the way he did about you, he probably planned it.

_**Sly dog.** _

"Sorry, I didn't drive here today. I'm trying to save up on gas this week. The buses should still be running, so we should be able to catch one to the shopping district. Will you be okay walking the rest of the way and back to the complex afterwards? I don't want to make you overexert yourself after being bedridden for three days..."

Adachi shot you a worried look and you shook your head. 

"Nah, I'll be fine! I could use a little movement precisely for that reason. Besides, it's nice to fill my lungs with air not tainted with antiseptic and rubber gloves. I hate hospitals. A lot." A frown pulled at the corners of your mouth as memories of your beloved mother flashed in your mind. 

A good portion of your childhood was spent accompanying her in and out of hospitals. Her last moments were played out in a room similar to the one you had occupied. You never stepped foot into another hospital if you could have helped it after that. 

You were glad to be discharged today.

"Anyway… I thought Dojima-san liked to keep you later at work? Did you drug his coffee to slip away?" You teased, replacing the grimace with a quick smile. 

"Wh-wha? Oh no! Haha… actually, I’m still kinda on the clock. Dojima-san sent me out to gather info. You know that Risette girl we were guarding a few days ago? She’s gotten kidnapped too. Her grandma said she went out for a walk and never came back.”

“Huh? Then why the hell are you taking me to dinner if you’re still working!? Won’t you get in trouble? I-I don’t want to be the reason you get handed a pink slip!” you exclaimed. The detective just laughed.

“Aww, you worried about me? I’ll be fine, ________-chan! The owner of Aiya is on my list anyway, so why not take advantage of it?” There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he grinned confidently. You sighed softly.

“I guess… But, man… hopefully that girl’s okay. I’m not really big into celebrities but it’s just not right for this to happen to her while she’s on break. Whoever’s killing and snatching these people up is one sad, sick son of a bitch.”

You pursed your lips as the two of you came to the bus stop and took shelter under its cover.

“I’m sure she’ll be okay. The previous two victims of the kidnappings have managed to come home safe and sound. Either the guy’s a bleeding heart and lets them go eventually, or somehow his methods of containing them are flawed. We don’t really know yet, but these kids definitely have it lucky compared to the two women who were murdered.” Adachi shuddered lightly and you felt it as his shoulder bumps yours from the closeness.

Though, he’s oddly light about the whole issue just like the night you first met him. You can’t quite tell if it’s just the way he talks in general, but something just doesn’t sit right with you when he discusses the serial murder and kidnapping case. You sneak a glance at his profile and caught the corner of his mouth twitching upward for a split second.

Was it just a trick of the light?

You hummed quietly to yourself, bemused, and shifted your weight to your other foot.

“So… Aiya’s the name of the restaurant we’re headed to, yeah?” you broke the uncomfortable minute of silence in favor of a different, less morbid subject. “What kind of food do they serve there?”

“Hmm, we’ll they’re advertised as a Chinese restaurant. Though, they’ll pretty much make you anything you want. Their delivery is the same way and really convenient. Anything you’re craving for at any time or place, they’ll get it to you. Hell, I’ve been out at the base of Mt. Yasogami at like five in the morning on an investigation and the delivery girl putted a hot bowl of udon and a cup of coffee to me on her scooter. A scooter! Man, I couldn’t believe it!”

The man burst into laughter and sent you into a fit of giggles as well. The image of the delivery girl riding a scooter up to the mountain like a badass for the sake of Adachi’s morning cravings was too absurd for your mind to wrap around. Perhaps you’ll have to get the restaurant’s number and try it for yourself one of these days when you have the funds to do so.

By the time the bus arrives, you’re wiping tears from your eyes and swallowing the last bit of laughter as the two of you climb on.

You sat next to one another, and the occasional brush of his limbs against yours as the bus trundled along the bumpy road to the shopping district set your face on fire the whole trip.

You could faintly recall the words he had spoken to you before you had fallen victim to the terrible fever. How he had clumsily relayed to you an offer of companionship. He was cute and awkward, but you wondered if it was appropriate to forge a close relationship with a man you had only known for barely a few days— who also happened to be a co-worker.

But with how hard it was trying to get out into the world of dating while being married to police work, such things weren't frowned upon too harshly. 

He was weird at times, but at the moment, you were glad to have company during this hectic time in your life.

And what a crazy time it was, what with the man-eating televisions, trippy dreams and weird voices putting you out of commission for three days.

You were surprised you hadn’t gotten committed to an asylum by now. Maybe you should give your shrink a call or find a new one here in Inaba…

When the bus reached the shopping district, you were momentarily thrown out of the anxieties your mind had you trapped in. You got off and continued the journey to Aiya on foot through the pouring rain with Adachi.

When you were finally at the entrance, the sign on the restaurant door caught your eye.

_"Rainy day challenge, 3,000 yen Mega Beef Bowl! If you finish this quintuple-sized bowl, it's free!"_

Was this what Adachi was telling you about?

The warm, inviting air of the restaurant rushed over your face as Adachi opened the door for you. You inhaled and sighed dreamily from the delicious smells wafting from the open kitchen situated at the core of the place like an oasis of yummy goodness.

“Aiyaaa! Welcome! Please sit anywhere you like!” A balding, bespectacled man with a small moustache called to you from the kitchen. The detective led you to a seat at the bar and sat close enough to rub elbows with you once again much like the bus ride.

Did he not have any concept of personal space or were you just imagining things?

You tried to distract yourself with the menu but Adachi placed his hand over it and lightly shook his head at you.

“My lady friend here will be having the Rainy Day Special. I’ll just have the #2 combo ramen with a beer. Ah, actually, make that two beers.”

“W-wait… I thought you were working! And don’t be giving a sick person beer!” you hissed, pawing at his arm with a bit of annoyance. While you were never one to turn down a free beer, you weren’t expecting to climb onto the alcoholic bandwagon soon after being ill. You suspected the sake you had that night had been the catalyst that sent you on that horrendous trip of a fever.

“Trust me, you’ll need to be a little tipsy to eat this beef bowl, sweetheart,” he smirked, patting your hand with a chuckle. “If you won’t drink it, then I will.”

“…Tohru Adachi, you are a _terrible_ influence,” you crossed your arms over your chest and shot him a disapproving gaze.

But after a moment you shrugged.

“Well, whatever… I’m not gonna let a string bean like you show me up. But if you get fired after this, don’t blame me!” You poked him in the chest and he beamed at you.

“That’s the spirit, rookie! Oh, I doubt I’ll get fired. The ol’ slave driver is too in need of an errand boy to get rid of me. And besides, I think I have enough tolerance to handle a beer or two before facing said slave driver. It’s only bad if I get caught!”

“Yeah sure… you keep telling yourself that, _sweetheart_. We’ll see who the ‘rookie’ here is in a few.” You patted his hand mockingly and rolled your eyes.

While you await your food, you realized how inexplicably close you felt to this man.

Already he was feeling like a best friend you have known for years when really it hasn’t been even a fraction of that. He was so warm and oddly familiar that it should have scared you, but it didn’t for some reason. Something deep within you was content with his presence.

* * *

“Holy hell, did you order Mt. Olympus for me? What in God’s name is this blasphemous pile of moo-meat?” The words at the end of your sentence blended together slightly as you stared in drunken awe at the enormous meal in front of you. The beef bowl shop back in Iwatodai had nothing on this monstrous gyuudon of epic proportions.

The thin slices of beef and caramelized onions sumptuously drowned in a thick, savory sauce were layered artistically over a bed of rice you could not see. A sunny-side up egg topped this homage to Fuji-san almost as a tender afterthought. The steam and irresistible scent of the dish enveloped you in a warm blanket and encouraged you to separate your chopsticks with an eager ‘SNAP!’

“Hey, you said you wanted the biggest beef bowl ever. Did I deliver, or did I _deliver_?” Adachi leaned in with a sloppy jerk and nearly collided with your skull. That ‘beer or two’ had turned into three or four with you being one shy away from Adachi’s score. The alcohol had come way before the food and Adachi had finished questioning the owner in the middle of his first glass, therefore, allowing him to finally let loose. 

Oh dear God, was this a terrible mistake.

Whatever the restaurant had on tap was some delicious and potent local brew you had never encountered before. It drank like a beer but hit like you had just chugged a glass of wine in one go. The fierce competitor and closet alcoholic within you wasn’t satisfied with just one mug, thus letting you keep pace with the detective.

Sickness be damned! This stuff was awesome!

“You’ve only delivered if it tastes good, Mr. Detective!” you sang, piercing the yolk of the egg at the top and licking your lips as you watched the golden syrup cascade down over the beef. You plucked a small bit of meat, egg and onions from the peak of the mountain and took an exploratory bite.

You froze after the first chew as an explosion of sultry sweet, salty and savory umami flavors gushed over your taste buds. 

You shut your eyes, fireworks going on behind your eyelids and crackling on your tongue as you chewed and chewed slowly, savoring each complex flavor before swallowing with a mournful whimper. 

"Oh gods, it's so… _GOOD_!" you moaned loudly, your inebriated body tingling all over. You could swear the pleasure was enough to melt your clothes off.

Was this… a food-gasm!?

You hear coughing and sputtering at your side and finally open your eyes to look at Adachi who had choked on his beer. He nearly drops his glass as he hastily grabs a napkin to dab at his mouth and tie. 

He stared at you, cheeks ruddy with more embarrassment than alcohol. Some other customers had taken to gaping at you too.

"What?" You questioned defensively, but turn away blushing as well when you realized your actions. "I-it _is_ good…  You should try it," you muttered quietly and turned your attention back to your meal.

"That was… interesting. Does that mean I win?" Adachi said slyly, poking at your shoulder. "Winner's should get a prize, y'know." He leaned in, a dark brow cocked suggestively.

"Mmph, 'eah," you replied around a mouthful of beef, "Hearf yo' frize." You shove a bite of food between his lips with your chopsticks. 

The look on his face was just priceless.

Thankfully, you had the good sense to swallow before laughing at his confused and slightly disgruntled expression. He gulped down the 'prize' regardless.

"I don't know what a better prize is than a taste of this delicious beef bowl. What, you want a medal for 'Best Tour Guide of Inaba's Eateries'? What's that look for? I'm joking!" He startles when you slap his slumping shoulder.  
"You keep asking for a prize, but I don't even know what you like besides snacks, coffee, alcohol and work breaks. Seriously dude, what should I give you to thank you for everything you've done for me so far? I don't think a bag of chips and canned coffee will cut it. You are one hell of a mystery!"

The man took a few minutes of silence to think. You could see the gears turning in his head before he downed the last swig of his beer and set his gaze back on you.

"Well, seems like you know the essentials about me. I will admit, I'm but a simple man with simple tastes," he paused and leaned into your space again. You could smell the beer and shoyu broth on his breath, he was so close. It made your senses start spinning once more.

"But you haven't really picked up on all of my likes yet, have you, ________- chan?" 

Those eyes were turning dark again, gleaming with secrets you had yet to discover. His smirk had you gulping and shaking your head.

But oh, were you curious.

"Well guess I should start with something easy. My favorite colors are black, white, red and yellow. You know most of my favorite foods I guess but i also like sushi. Sea urchin or fatty tuna are at the top of that list. I don't have many hobbies outside of work other than watching tv or reading. Every other Sunday I like to go out on a jog… Ah, but this is all just boring stuff, yeah?  
I think I'd like anything you'd give me, really."

"Huh? It's great knowing more about you, but I still don't know what to get you other than food," you pouted. 

"You're a smart girl, I bet you could come up with something. Hmm, I did miss one thing. But eh, it's nothing really." He waved his hand dismissively with a smile.

"Well don't hold out on me! I'm a terrible gift giver! For obligation gifts last year, I ran to the konbini and gave out lunch sets and cheap beer because no other store was open! The year before that, there was a gift exchange among the staff and I gave my assigned person a Ganesha bank I had won in a crane game just an hour before work. I can't guess and I'm always too broke to find something good…"

Adachi chuckled and you wilted slightly, ashamed to admit such an embarrassing thing.

"This doesn't really relate to gift giving but it's another thing I like… and since you're being so persistent I guess I could tell you…" His voice dropped to a whisper and he closed in on the shell of your ear. "Truth is, I've got a weakness for pretty women. And there's one in particular who's caught my eye; a little lost lamb I rescued from a rainstorm. Care to guess who that might be?"

At this you sat up straighter, a bead of sweat running down your lower back.

"Are… are you hitting on me, Mr. Detective?" you giggle nervously, wishing you were good at playing the coy card when it came to flirting.

"I don't know… you tell me, little lamb," he murmured smoothly, making your blood circulate faster through your veins.

DANGER! DANGER!

SYSTEM OVERHEATING!

You gasped and thrust a hand out for your glass of water-- anything to distract you from the man's obvious hints.

As expected, your clumsiness caused the cup to tip over and spill in your area of the counter.

"Shit!" you swore softly and frantically grabbed a wad of napkins from a dispenser.

Adachi sat back in his seat with a short laugh, a smile on his face as he watched you panic and act flustered.

"Aiyaa! It's okay, Miss! I got it!" In a flash, the owner mopped up the mess and replaced the glass effortlessly. You mumbled apologies, choosing to stuff your face with the neglected beef bowl to quell your embarrassment.

Adachi let you eat in peace and finished his meal in calculating silence, effectively letting you stew with his suggestive comments in mind.

Each stolen glance at him ended with startling eye contact and you gave it up shortly. You wondered if your lack of an answer displeased him. Maybe he thought you were strange if his silent observation of you was anything to go by.

But the intensity of his dark eyes made you doubt that notion.

Was he really _that_ into you?

You stared at the pile of meat in your bowl, feeling more like you were looking into a dark portal to the meat dimension.

You still couldn't see the rice…

"Oh man, I don't know if I can finish this…" you groaned, feeling guilty for leaving so much food. Yet your stomach was close to ripping at the seams and you'd rather not feel even worse by throwing it all back up.

The sight of the endless meat slices tumbling over themselves was beginning to nauseate you.

"Can I… can I take this to go? I'll pay for it Adachi-san. I think I have enough. My bill is probably more expensive than yours on top of the beers…," you bowed your head in shameful defeat and deep apology.

"Hey, it's okay, __________-chan! I didn't expect you to finish it. Nobody that I know of has, not even me!" The detective replied in understanding and stood up, grabbing his wallet from his pants pocket. He signaled the owner for the bill and a box for you.

You dug in your purse for your wallet but Adachi stopped you with a hand on your shoulder.

A shock of warm tingles radiated from the area and you flinched.

"I got it. You don't have to pay. I get paid pretty soon anyway. But maybe you'll just have to take me out to eat again sometime if you really wanna pay me back, heh." He waggles his eyebrows and you sit there stunned for a moment. 

You don't get to answer him right away as your box comes and he goes to the register.

_**What a smooth little bastard…**_ you smile wryly and pack up your food. You were going to eat good for the next week or two.

You downed the rest of your beer for liquid courage against his charms and got ready to leave.


	6. Hunger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you are escorted home and perspectives change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warnings: sexual fantasies, masturbation, bit of mysogyny... And stalker behaviors? Basically, we get into Adachi's head a little and it's never a nice place ;)**
> 
>  
> 
> I don't know what this is. It's a chapter. Lol.
> 
> Wow, it's certainly been a while hasn't it? I want to thank the lovely reviewers for leaving such kind words and for those of you who are still interested in this story. 
> 
> I'm sorry for the wait, but here is the next chapter. 
> 
> I have lots of excuses. I got sick, it got pushed aside. My kid's in school now and things have come up...
> 
> And once again, I'm fighting against my inner Shadow and my anxieties over my own work. But seeing that someone appreciates what I write, seeing that you all like how I'm writing Adachi and whatnot... It gives me hope. Motivation. 
> 
> I can't thank you enough though. It makes me so happy! 
> 
> I might be slow, but I want to finish. For you. For me. I want to get this story down and out of my head so I can move on to the other ideas flooding it out. I have too many stories started and not finished, not posted. 
> 
> It might take weeks for me to even get in a few words in a chapter, but I haven't completely stopped. Never. I constantly look over my work. Always adding and subtracting. Eventually I get the chapter done. Better to be slow than to abandon this, right?
> 
> I'll keep writing even if it takes a long time to finish this. This is a hobby after all. And I still love it.
> 
> Thank you dear readers. Thank you.
> 
> -Lilith

* * *

The takeout box in its plastic bag swayed like a heavy pendulum as the two of you stumbled your way back to the apartment complex.

Adachi allowed you to lean on him as the alcohol in your system truly set in. He didn't seem to mind too much. It was obvious he wasn't bothered by being in your personal bubble.

The journey was a sloshing blur. All you could register was the sound of the continuous downpour, the feeling of Adachi's rain slicker swallowing your form, and his arm around your shoulder.

One minute you were closing your eyes to blink, and the next you found yourself struggling with the key to your door.

Maybe you were more tired than you thought. The alcohol had only made it worse. But what else was new?

"Here, let me help you with that," a soft voice purred into your ear, smooth as silk and twice as alluring. Heat flooded your already red cheeks and pooled between your thighs.

Were you still with Adachi? Suddenly you were feeling lost again, your head swimming in hot buzzing molasses.

A thin hand wrapped around yours, gently guiding the key into the lock.

With a twist and 'click!' the door opened and swung inward easily at the turn of the knob.

"C'mon, sweetheart, let's get you inside," came the voice again. Those same bony hands ushered you into the dark apartment. One curled at your waist and the other on your shoulder.

The door closed and submerged you in thick shadows.

What happened next, you couldn't quite compute.

There was a definite presence behind you. Thin but hard against your back.

You thought you could feel moist breath at the back of your neck and warm against your hair. Fingertips lingered and teased the ends of your locks.

Dry chapped lips ghosted over the curve of your ear.

Whispers hot and sharp scratched in the deep recesses of your foggy brain. Roused by the seductive grazing.

The sleeve of a suit-- or was that a kimono?-- brushed against your cheek, and the weight of the borrowed coat and your purse was gone. 

The bag of leftovers was taken and you heard it crinkle and thump onto a hard surface, maybe the kitchen counter.

But what was real, and what was imaginary?

With your psyche, sometimes it was hard to tell.

When the lights flicked on and temporarily blinded you, the spell was broken. 

You blinked away the sting.

"You gonna be okay getting to bed by yourself? You're kinda… out of it. Sorry 'bout that, heh." 

You whip around at the sound of Adachi's chuckle, staring at him in a deer-in-the-headlights kind of way for a second. 

He was just finishing putting your food in the fridge. Deja vu, much.

Why was he just so damn _nice_?

"...Pssh, like _yer_ in any way to talk!" you slur and point a finger a foot away from the actual Adachi and at image of his blurry twin. "Ya… ya can't go back to work after having as much as I did!" 

He raised his hands in surrender, palms out to you as if you were pointing a gun at him.

"Then you underestimate my tolerance, little lady. And you miscounted. You had more than me, remember?" he shook a chastising finger at you and laughed again. "Man, you're really drunk, huh?"

"What the hell?" You clutched your aching head and tried to recall the mugs you drank. You could have sworn he had the same…? But they had just kept coming, your empties hadn't been lined up

You try to move, but your legs are too heavy and stupid to respond correctly without assistance. You wobbled and took a spill onto the kitchen linoleum.

"Whoops! C'mon, princess, do I have to do everything for you?" Adachi rolled his eyes and unceremoniously swept you up into his arms with a soft grunt. He seemed more amused than annoyed though.

You gave a small gasp, not expecting his strength before smacking a hand over your mouth as you felt the familiar rise of acid. He shouldn't have moved you so suddenly!

It took a couple seconds but you were able to swallow it down with a shake of your head.

"N-no… no you don't. Why are you?" you croaked and looked up at him, blinking slowly once, then twice. He paused at the edge of your bed, surprised by the question.

"What, y'think I was just gonna let you shuffle on home by yourself and go on my merry way? Nuh-uh. You can't find your way around sober. What makes you think you can drunk?" Adachi smirked, setting your face on fire. 

"I can find my way to the bed at least!" you squeaked, wiggling in his hold. But the more you moved, the more you could feel his soft fingertips digging into the bare skin between your knee and thigh which made the flames of embarrassment within burn hotter.

"No! I mean… I mean _why_ are you helping me so much? After the first night, you coulda just called it good. Okay, I _am_ grateful you took me to the hospital and all. But… You didn't have to bring my stuff… or buy me dinner or coffee or… Any of that!" You made an all encompassing gesture with your hands. 

"Well, maybe I'm just not an asshole?" To prove his point, he set you down on the mattress with all the care of one placing an infant in her crib. "What kind of guy do you take me for?" he shrugged and scratched the back of his head, blushing. With how much he fiddles back there, you're surprised he doesn't have a bald spot.

"I… I dunno yet. That's what I'm trying to figure out. You're weird."

"Wha?" He looked offended until you smiled.

"It's okay! I like weird. I am weird. You're… you're a pretty good guy, Adachi-san. Thank you."

"You're wel..welcome," he mumbled, bright red and completely uncomfortable. You liked him like this. His shy uncertainty was cute. "Uh… now that I've seen you safely home… I guess I should get going. I have to at least call Dojima-san before I do anything else. So… goodnight?"

"Oh! Yeah… goodnight, Adachi-san. Thanks again!" 

You exchanged an awkward little wave and smile before he left.

The minute the door closed, you rolled and planted your face into your pillow, letting out a squeal. 

Did that just happen? 

Adachi accompanied you at the hospital, took you out for dinner and beer, walked you all the way home and carried your drunk ass to bed. 

Clearly, the boundary between helpful coworker and maybe-boyfriend-ship-thing was being crossed. You didn't think any of your past coworkers would do anything like this for you. 

With a sigh, you wiggle out of your dress and dig your way under the covers. You were too far gone for any sort of bedtime preparation and the lack of water in your system brought back the oh, so familiar throbbing that came with too much booze. You couldn't even have bothered with the lock on your door or the lights. If someone broke in, oh well. What was there to take but the TV and a bank card with enough money to buy a dinner and maybe some cheap sake. 

There were more important things to attend to…

Namely, rest.

* * *

The minute the door closed and Adachi was out in the empty hallway, he blew out a sigh of relief and allowed a smirk to surface. 

His hands trembled like they did after the first time wrapping them around Yamano's tender neck. 

He could still feel your soft skin in his hands. Maybe it wasn't as soft as the announcer's expensively moisturized flesh, or that high school slut with her youthful glow, but it was still nice. 

Nice enough to call out for his touch and seduce him with the prospect of staking his claim in the form of lovely red and purple bruises blooming wherever he sucked or grabbed.

He'd make a fucked mess of you and know that no one else would want you after he was finished.

Adachi let a twisted giggle slip as he entered the sanctuary of his lonely bleach white apartment. A cleaner, yet hollow twin to your place.

His fingers automatically went to his loose necktie, wrenching it from its sloppy knot and throwing it somewhere he didn't care to look.

His suit jacket got the same treatment.

Briefly, he flirted with the idea of actually doing his job to call up Dojima with his meager findings, but he axed the notion just thinking of having to deal with his boss's nagging. He could only hold the phone away from his ear for so long before his arm would get tired and he left the device on the counter to fetch a beer from the fridge. Usually Dojima would still be on the line chewing the ass off the empty space in place of Adachi.

Grumpy asshole.

Nope. He simply wasn't going to put himself through that.

There were more important things to attend to.

Namely, the growing pain of his dick straining against the unforgiving fabric of his pants.

He was simultaneously angry and excited that he could have had his way with you in so many ways. Bent over your countertop, shoved against the wall, thrown onto the floor, or fucked into the mattress with his hands around your pretty little throat. A little breathplay wouldn't hurt much as long as he didn't let himself get carried away.

Adachi flexed his fingers, idly wondering what color you'd turn when you were gasping for air and begging for more. He licked his lips as he made his way to the bed.

Out of habit, he took out his cell from the back pocket of his pants and plugged it in to charge on the nightstand-- on vibrate of course. He didn't need any interruptions, not when he was like this.

Sure, it would have been easy to get between those legs. All the right variables were there. Intoxication, isolation, _trust_. 

Adachi laughed at that one.

But it was too easy. Stupid easy.

It was too early in the game to try anything. If he did anything, it'd have to be _your_ idea first. If the higher ups at work ever sniffed around and gave a shit about whatever the hell relationship this was going to be, it was going to be your fault, not his. 

Never his. 

He would only plant the seeds, little suggestions here and there, hints at what he wanted. Adachi would kick up his feet and watch them sprout, only moving when you decided what to do with the fruit. 

He was oh, so sure you would pick it and take a bite, give him a chance. Like Eve and the Serpent, the snake only gave the suggestion. It was her fault she decided to eat the forbidden fruit.

_'It's okay! I like weird. I am weird. You're… you're a pretty good guy, Adachi-san. Thank you.'_

Halfway through pulling down his pants, Adachi's mouth twisted into a grimace thinking of your words.

You looked at him like you actually gave a shit about him. 

'No I'm not,' he wanted to say, 'Don't thank me just yet.'

Your eyes were like a stray puppy's. Big, hopeful, trusting. Honestly, you kinda were like a stray in general. (He even found you wandering around in a rainstorm--ha!) Just give you a little attention and ply you with some food and boom! Just like that, you were eating out of the palm of his hand and hanging off of every word he said. 

Naked with his cock at full attention, Adachi climbed on top of the covers and opened the nightstand drawer to dig around. He pulled out a "borrowed" pair of plain panties he'd knicked from a random moving box in your apartment while you were at the hospital. Strange that he found it with some kitchen junk. You probably had just thrown in whatever was left lying around into a box when you moved. 

A lot of your boxes seemed to have that haphazard quality. He'd gone through all of them to know that much. Beauty of it all was you'd never know anything was out of place or missing.

The panties looked like the kind you'd get out of a bargain pack of 6. Clean, but definitely worn in. Thin elastic waistband and leg holes stretched to your proportions, the salmon colored fabric dulled to a bland almost-pink.

Unfortunately for him (and probably you too), there wasn't an actual box of clothes among your possessions, otherwise he would have gone through it and picked a more attractive pair. If he took one of the new ones you bought from Junes, you'd probably notice. And he would much rather have something that touched your body versus an unused pair.

Adachi let the panties sit beside him as he fished out a bottle of lube. 

He felt like a teenager again going through the ritualistic motions prior to masturbating, stolen underwear and all. 

He squirted just enough lubricant into his hand to do the job and slathered it over his length, twitching and sucking in a breath as he felt the cool moisture give way to warm tingles. A small perk he splurged on to change up his routine a little.

It was worth it and so was he.

With his dry hand, he grabbed the panties and smothered his face in them, inhaling stale laundry soap and the slightest hint of female musk. 

Adachi shut his eyes and put his mind in an alternate world, idly stroking himself.

He put himself back in your apartment. Crawling over your form on the bed, hands sliding up your legs.

You'd be alarmed at first. Unsure of whether to kick him away or let him continue. He could see you as a fighter. Would have to be ready in case you denied him. It would be unwise to underestimate you with police training under your belt. A form of martial arts was required in the training process.

But alcohol was the saving grace. 

And he was lucky that you were always thirsty for it.

You'd be putty in his hands the moment his fingers would slip underneath the panties he had picked out for you. 

A couple teasing strokes of your clit, and he was sure that pussy would be drooling for him, christening the new fabric of your underwear. It wouldn't take much foreplay for a girl like you. 

Which suited Adachi just fine. He'd save those agonizing teasing sessions to savor another day. Maybe if you were being particularly… bad.

But that didn't mean he would stop torturing you completely. 

He'd finger your entrance, slipping one.. two.. maybe stretch you with three just to see if you could handle it. Any tears from the pain, he'd lap up like nectar. 

But it wasn't enough just to touch and explore blindly.

He had to see you. Taste you. _Feel_ you. Tear off your clothes. Grab, suck, mark, make all of you his. 

Red blossoms would decorate your neck, a splash of purple around your breasts, black and blue bites around the inner thighs. A rogue print on the flesh of your ass, his teeth sinking in like biting into a ripe peach.

He'd drink in your essence. The blood sampled from broken skin and the honey guzzled from between your legs. Adachi could imagine his lips being coated in its sweetness.

But again, it just wouldn't be enough. He had to be _in_ you.

It would be rough. He'd wrangle you into a position where he could truly let loose without slipping out. 

Outside of his fantasy, he struggled to pick a certain way. If he wanted to see your cute expressions or smash your face into a pillow to absorb your screams… so the dream floundered between the two. 

But none of that mattered. 

All he wanted to imagine was how tight your cunt would be around his cock. Hot and wet, soft and quivering, pulsating and contracting as he thrust into you.

His excitement would set the pace, his hunger: the force. 

Your cries filling his head and fueling his actions.

Reality mirrored fantasy. Adachi's fist moved as furiously as his imaginary counterpart, and the lube worked its thermogenic magic against his skin.

It was building fast. 

The madness of being enveloped in you. Of him devouring you just as much as you were devouring him. 

It was spilling around the edges. He could feel it. 

Pounding into you, flesh meeting flesh, the edge of his hand meeting his own pelvis as he imagined colliding with yours.

Bam!

Adachi grit his teeth, air hissing between them as he came hard. He twitched, his hips frozen in midair. Instead of shooting it all inside of you, his seed spilled uselessly onto his stomach and partially on the bed sheet.

With a sigh, his body collapsed, making the mattress springs screech in protest. 

He laid there basking in the euphoria before slowly he came down again into the solitary cell that was his apartment.

"Goddammit…"

Adachi mopped up the mess with the stolen panties and threw them at the wastebasket. 

Unsurprisingly, he missed.

"Hah...haha...hahahaha!"

He curled up, sweaty, cum-stinking body shaking as he continued to laugh into the empty air.

Something in his psyche stirred, the ancient power humming with the pounding of his heart.

And then he was reminded of that name… the name that had slipped past your lips when you passed out.

_Izanagi…_

Adachi stopped laughing.

Hearing you say that name, hearing the familiarity… the _emotion_... It did things to him.

Made him suspicious. Angry. Confused. Thrilled and… saddened.

Why did you know that name? How could it be possible?

Who exactly were you and why did he feel so drawn to you?

It went beyond looks. Beyond personality. (Not that he cared too much about that.)

Maybe it was… (dare he think it?) Fate?

His mind turned over several times before he shrugged.

"Guess I'll have to do some more detective work." 

Adachi laughed again and wondered what other treasures he would dig up from your belongings. 

He needed to test out that copy of your apartment key sometime anyway...


	7. Day Off (Easing into Inaba pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter might be a little boring... But I felt it needed to be split into two parts at least. We get a little more into Reader-chan's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is rushed? Short? IDK... Lol. I wanted to have a low-key chapter before big stuff begins to happen. Part 2 is in the works now.
> 
> Warnings: PTSD, anxiety, Weird dreams, anxiety attacks, hallucinations. Brief sexual stuff. Mentions of choking, past abuse/abusive father, death (ish?) and a suicide attempt. Let me know of any other triggers I missed.

At 3:30 A.M, your body jerked upward into a sitting position before you could truly register being awake.

A groan rolled from your mouth as you rubbed at your eyes. You could feel your pulse in your eyeballs; your heart was thudding so hard.

The sheets were wet and not just with sweat.

"What the fuck…?"

Tentative fingers moved under the covers to touch your crotch.

Dampness.

Did you just… was that a wet dream?

You shook your head and sucked your bottom lip between your teeth.

Your body still thrummed with heat. The phantom man that had had his way with you… you could still feel his bruising grip, his sharp bites, his merciless thrusts…

_**It was wrong. // It felt good.** _

You clutched your head.

Yellow eyes. Filthy kimono. Crooked smile.

"What is this…?" you whispered softly, disturbed. You flopped back against the bed, thighs clamping together to block out the rush of heat throbbing in your womanhood.

"How can I even think that would feel good?" Your hands smoothed over the goose-pimpled skin of your arms, sliding upward to rest at your throat. His hands had been around it. 

And though it was just a dream, you could still feel the ghostly bruises inside and out, the mind numbing high that came with losing oxygen.

Squeezing. Choking. Strangling.

His hands. Your reflection's hands. Dad's hands…

_**Stop.** _

You rolled onto your side and shut your eyes, fighting the tears that came with _those_ memories.

It took everything you had to keep the flood of related thoughts behind the thick dam you had mentally erected and maintained over the years. All that hard work was beginning to crumble in only a few seconds.

"It's okay. You've gotten past this. C'mon, quit it!" You refused to cry, even as your body betrayed you. Disgust over getting turned on by the violent dream sex, guilt knowing you shouldn't feel this way because of where you came from, what was done to you…

Think of anything to NOT think of those times back home with… him. 

Think of the taste of garden fresh tomatoes. The rich orange yolk that you could only get from a fresh chicken egg produced from happy hens and processed by hands and not machines. Mom's perfume, sweet plum blossoms. The sound of her cooking your favorite foods to comfort you, her wooden spoon scraping the pan as she stirs.

Think of endless blue skies and the star-studded night that came with living out in the country. No light pollution or extra noise. Think of their names, the constellations, the stars. Vega, Altair, Deneb, Cygnus, The Little Bear… 

Your breathing slowed, mind no longer on unpleasant things. 

But a certain heaviness in your throat, saliva quickly gathering in your mouth, sent you into panic mode.

You ran to the bathroom to throw up.

When the deed is done, you flush and rinse out your mouth a couple times, massaging your sore stomach.

"Guh… shouldn't have drank that much…"

The age old mantra that you can never fulfill. 

You spat into the sink and rose up to meet your reflection in the mirror.

Bright yellow eyes met your gaze.

Your twisted reflection smiled that sharp-toothed smile, face cracked. Black ooze began to drip from the orifices on her face and the splits in her skin. There were ugly bruises ringing her neck.

Blood bubbled up from the top edge of the mirror and started to slide down the glass, your surroundings dimming and being washed in a noxious green.

You screamed and stumbled back against the wall. 

Blink and it's all gone. 

Typical.

You slumped onto the floor drawing your knees to your thudding chest. 

"No… no, I'm not doing this again… not again," you muttered, struggling to catch your breath. Your hands shook against your shins. 

"Garden tomatoes. Fresh eggs. Plum blossoms. Mama's cooking. Altair, Vega, Deneb, Cygnus, The Little Bear…"

You listed more and more things that made you happy until your breathing leveled out and the fear bled from your muscles.

Once calm, you made yourself stand while avoiding looking at the mirror.

Good thing you hadn't tried to punch it out.

_**Would my hand sink into the glass or shatter it?** _

"Fuck off," you told the thought and stormed out of the bathroom.

All that work forgetting about the dark stuff would unravel unless you moved on. If the hallucinations were coming back… you'd have to do something soon.

For a moment, you entertained the idea of going back to bed. It was your day off. You should sleep in.

But part of you was afraid of what else you would encounter in your dreams and so you decided that it would be better to stay awake. Besides, you needed to get rid of the excess energy thanks to that nightmare.

You peeled off your bra and panties and dug around the Junes bag with your outfits for something to wear. 

Once dressed in a fresh set of undergarments, black tank top and leggings, you felt somewhat ready to take on the day.

You filled up a bottle of water and turned the coffee maker on to run while you went through warm ups and your fitness routines. Exercise helped when you went through these no-sleep spells.

First stretches. Loosening the tense muscles, sighing with relief when your bones cracked to release the built up stress.

Water break, then back to it. The smell of coffee pushed you to keep moving.

You dedicated chunks of time to each part of your body. Core and leg work. Certain reps with the dumbbells plucked from a couple boxes to strengthen the arms.

Anything that involved your body in the air or feet stomping on the floor wouldn't be a good idea in your apartment. Ukemi [1] was also out of the question seeing as there was no room for you to roll around. Maybe today you could walk around and find a park or somewhere open to work out properly. You didn't feel like hitting up the training room at the station. Wouldn't look good showing up just for that while taking this day off for your "health."

"I'm not overworking… feels more like underworking," you grumbled, thinking of the doctor's diagnosis. 

You were fine now. Felt as if that fever never happened, that you weren't practically dying for three days in that hospital bed. So… what the hell? You didn't have a cold. You drank a little too much, but you've never been incapacitated like that. 

Your thoughts rattled around, brain scraping for an answer as you reviewed a few aikido moves with an imaginary partner.

When all was done, you guzzled the rest of your water and wiped the sweat from your brow and neck with your tank top. You threw it at the tiny closet holding your washer and dryer, watching it flutter uselessly to the floor halfway to its destination. Eventually you'd get around to washing what little laundry needed to be done.

But first, coffee.

When you opened the fridge to grab the creamer, the dismal sight of nearly bare shelves disappointed you. Now that there was time to actually cook breakfast, you were ill prepared.

No eggs, meat, fish, tofu, bread, fruit or vegetables to speak of.

Just that bottle of sake, your leftovers from last night and a half-eaten package of mochi you had bought the first night.

You set the creamer on the counter and searched the cupboard.

Instant noodles and a shit ton of junk food (the cheap stuff of course)…

Nope. Save those for the nights you don't feel like cooking.

Check the moving boxes?

A quick search yields a tiny amount of rice and oatmeal in their pantry containers. An empty box of instant miso soup. Lots of flour, yet no yeast for bread. Maybe pancakes with water instead of milk? Oh… but again, no eggs. Not even bananas for substitute.

You sighed.

"Guess I'm going shopping… ugh. Better make a list."

You plucked a thick pink binder from the box and placed it on the coffee table to sit while you made up your morning sustenance:

Crappy over-sweetened coffee (possibly spiked with sake, you decided to turn a blind eye), a reheated portion of that awesome beef bowl and a piece of mochi. Breakfast of champions.

You sat on the couch as you ate, running a hand over the cover of the binder. 

"Mom's Recipe Book" it read, a title card written and glued on by her own hand.

A small smile lifted the corners of your mouth as you opened it.

_To my dearest Little Dragonfly,_

_How are you?_

_I hope that you have found happiness. That your meals are always warm and full of love. That you are safe, healthy and still as energetic and strong as you are in my eyes._

_While I may be gone, you are not._

_I pray you live life to the fullest. I will be there, living vicariously through you. I am the sunshine kissing your face. The wind ruffling your hair. The rain nourishing your garden. The moon bidding you "good night."_

_I will always love you, and pray that you live a long, fruitful life. Just remember, even if your days are stormy, the clouds must give way to sunshine eventually._

_Be well, Little Dragonfly._

_With love,_

_Mama_

Reading her letter at the beginning, no matter how many times you've looked it over, always brings tears to your eyes. You wiped them away, thinking for a moment that she really deserved better. 

No other woman could ever measure up to her, not even you, you felt.

Terminally ill, abusive ex-husband, single mother to you… she had gone through so much, yet stayed sweet, patient and kind through it all. You were a hardy woman, having lived through your own troubles, but your mother's strength seemed to be in another league entirely. She had been your caretaker, your teacher, your best friend.

You could only wish to be half the woman she was...

You flipped through the pages of handwritten recipes. Many were stained and wrinkled at the edges with various splotches of whatever Mom was cooking at the time, some you had added to on your own.

In addition to these recipes, were notes listed in the margins. Some whole pages dedicated to tips she thought would help you out, life advice. Which items were cheapest at the stores, how to substitute ingredients, how to live on your own, deal with men, love and well wishes…

This was one of her final gifts to you before she died, and it had lasted longer than the small bit of money she had left you. That had gone into your schooling, but this book had stayed. 

It was the last piece of her heart and soul to exist in this world.

You pulled out the small notepad and pen tucked at the back of the binder to list down ingredients for some of the recipes.

You'd have to be smart about it. Buy cheap, yet sustainable items. Plan your meals to get the most out of what you buy. And leave no scrap of food uneaten.

Today would be the perfect day to start doing this again. It's been years since you've even thought of picking up a pan. The last time you had put this much effort into cooking, you were attending Gekkoukan high and living at the student dorms cooking not only for yourself, but helping prepare meals for the rest of the students with the dorm mother. [2]

You had stopped when you got into the Academy. You were served food and never had to worry about much except passing. And then after getting hired at the Paulownia Mall station, it was strictly eating out or heating up a premade meal, occasionally indulging in a meal with Officer Kurosawa's family. You never had the time to cook. Or the sanity.

And now, the problem was money. It'd take a miracle for you to find what you needed at Junes without selling your soul for a head of cabbage or a dozen eggs. 

As for your sanity… you were working on it.

"...Might have to buy only a few things. Whatever I can afford." You set down your pen, looking over the list with a pensive expression.

Eggs, meat, rice, produce.

It would get you through a couple weeks at most. Just until payday. Only then could you start building your pantry up again. (Maybe after the hospital bills, actually.) The beef bowl leftovers would carry you through a couple days if you rationed it carefully. Instant noodles and snacks would save you too.

"Good thing I'm single," you smirked. Though, the moment didn't last long. Having a significant other would also mean company… and a second income.

You finished the last bit of beef bowl and washed it down with a swallow of bitter regret.

Shower time.

It took a few minutes for you to work up the motivation to go into the bathroom. You avoided looking into the mirror and went about bathing and brushing your teeth at a brisk pace. 

You redressed, grabbing a clean shirt from the bag and reusing your leggings. They weren't completely soaked in sweat. You'd only bought this, a pair of jeans and shorts for bottoms. No need to waste the other clean clothes in case something happened… like another damn flash flood of rain.

But what if you ran into someone from work? 

Adachi?

To your nose, the pants didn't stink but...

After much debate, you dug out your mother's plum blossom perfume to cover up any smell with a few conservative spritzes. 

No makeup today. Let the world see your dark circles. Maybe some cashier would take pity on you and give you a discount. (Psh. As if.) You blow-dried and blind styled your hair in the living space after finally freeing the dryer from its crowded cardboard prison.

By the time you finished, it was 5:00 AM.

Unfortunately, Junes doesn't open for another two hours. You checked and double checked again just to make sure as if the time would cater to your needs and change.

"Whelp, guess I'm unpacking now."

* * *

You managed to kill two and a half hours unpacking and dismantling boxes. A lot of that time was spent just looking at some of the shit you forgot you had. 

Sentimental childhood things, photo albums of the happy times, old yearbooks, mom's old stuff you had inherited.

Kitchen cupboards were finally stocked with your spices and cooking stuff. Mismatched eating utensils and dishware too.

There wasn't much to put in the closet and dresser. Just what you had bought and none of what had been put in those lost boxes. (Dammit, you were still salty about that.)

The final thing to set up was the family butsudan. [3]

It was a tiny cabinet, simple in design, and built from cheap wood. Your dad never cared about it, but your mom had been a devout buddhist. While you weren't practicing now, she would often try and get you to participate in prayers and meditations when you were a kid. 

And now, it was merely a box of memories. A ghost of her faith. 

You carefully set it on top of your dresser and unwrapped the various fragile things that went into it. Mom bought all these with the money she would hide from your old man so he wouldn't piss it all away on alcohol and shady deals. 

You decorated the shrine exactly how you remembered Mom had it and set up her framed photo next to it. No Dad. He could rot in Hell for all you cared. Despite the teachings to honor the dead, you would never give him the love he denied you. He could haunt you til the end of your days and turn into a withering wraith, but you would never give him that.

Wouldn't that just be fucking fantastic if all the bad shit you've gone through now is because of him lurking around and kicking shit up?

You snorted and lit a stick of incense with the matches from a tiny drawer in the altar, hands drawing together in prayer.

"Please watch over me today, Mom. Love you and hope it's a lot nicer up there than it is for me down here."

You lingered there in silence until your phone went off on the nightstand.

_Officer Kurosawa._

You raised an eyebrow at the ID and answered it after the third ring.

"Hello..?"

"Morning, ________," he greeted, voice as dry and deep as you remembered it, "I hope I'm not bothering you. I just wanted to see how things are going so far in Inaba? I tried calling you a couple days ago, but I think your phone was dead. You need to set up your voicemail like a normal person."

You swallowed and scratched at your ear. A welfare check.

"Sorry, eheh... I'm free to talk now. Actually, I'm off today. But… things have been okay. I've been a little sick, but otherwise, I don't have any complaints. This town really reminds me of home so far."

"Yeah? That's good to hear. Well, not about the sickness, but I'm glad you're okay."

'Glad you haven't gone batshit crazy and offed yourself yet' was what you gleaned from 'okay.' 

Unfortunately, he's seen that side of you. The worst breakdown you had was shortly after the moon eyeball incident. You kept your gun [4] and skipped work for the day. Almost put a bullet in your brain to stop the hallucinations if he hadn't barged into your apartment and stopped you. Kurosawa was the one to find you professional help after that and never officially reported your actions that could have taken you off the force for good. You owed him a lot.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's all good, Kurosawa-san. I've even started getting to know some of the guys at the station. Well, really one guy-- a detective. So, I have at least one person to shoot the shit with, heh."

"That's great. Just remember, I'm here to talk about… those things you can't talk about normally with others. Uncle Gin asked me to look out for you all those years ago, so I don't want you feeling like you have nowhere to turn if you need help."

"Thanks, Kurosawa-san. I'll keep that in mind." 

'Uncle Gin', Gin Kurosawa. The officer who had plucked you from the gutter and given you a chance to become someone better.

You smiled sadly and sat at the edge of your bed. It's already been two years since his passing. Both you and his nephew had made a trip back to your hometown to attend his funeral. He had worked in the police box even when he was pushing 75. Said he couldn't retire and just sit at home all day. He was a good man. More of a father to you than your own.

"Oh yeah, let me know if you're interested in moving up. I've almost got my detective badge. I could put a good word in for you if you decide to pursue it. You've got enough experience to try."

"... I know. Let me think about it. I'll give this place at least a year. You know I'm not about clambering up the totem pole just for reputation sake. I'm a simple gal."

Kurosawa chuckled.

"I know you are. Just… just be careful, okay? All that shit happening in Inaba… it doesn't sit right with me. I get these hunches, y'know? You're like family to me, ________. You let me know if there's any trouble."

"Okay, 'Big Bro'," you joked, "I will. Good luck with exams and stuff. Say hi to the wife and kids for me. Let's talk again soon."

"I will. Charge your phone sometime, eh? Bye, _____."

You hung up and exhaled slowly, shutting your eyes.

Okay. So maybe you weren't completely cut off and lonely. 

But, at the same time, you didn't want to feel like such a burden.

Nearly all your life, you've felt that way. Your old man made you feel that way first. You were an extra mouth to feed. A leech. 

Mom had to raise you alone when she was with him and when she left him. She took the blows that were meant for you physically and figuratively until the day she died.

Officer Gin spent a lot of time trying to right your wrongs and arrange your future.

Officer Kurosawa played big brother and let you into his family without a second thought. And he was there, going out of his way to talk you off the ledge between life and death.

Were you really worth all the grief everyone's gone through to get you here? Living out your fucked up life saved by the hard work of other people who were mostly dead now?

Were you worth it?

You frowned and carried your half-dead cell to your purse on the counter. You threw it in, made sure your wallet was there and swiped the grocery list off the coffee table.

That's when you noticed Adachi's raincoat draped over the arm of the couch. 

"How the hell did I miss that? I wonder if he's home…"

You walked to the window by your bed and peeked behind the curtain. The skies we're cloudy but no rain so far. You grabbed the Junes-exclusive hoodie from your closet to wear and shrugged on your purse. 

Deciding to leave Adachi's coat for later, you left your apartment and began heading to Junes on foot with only a general idea of which way you were going.

You'd figure it out eventually.

* * *

Notes:

[1] Ukemi is the practice of breaking your fall, certain ways of falling and rolling to escape injury when you're thrown by an opponent. I'm not a martial arts expert. I learn through Google lol. I can imagine Reader-chan learning aikido in Academy. She may not keep up with it too often, but she still practices here and there in case she needs to use it. 

[2] Can you guess which dorm she stayed at in Iwatodai??? ;)

[3] Butsudan- a Buddhist altar commonly found in temples and homes that practice. These cabinets can be ornate or simple. Since Reader-chan's family wasn't well-off financially, my headcanon is her mom either got this second hand or found a really cheap one. These hold religious items like statues or pictures of Buddha/Buddhist deities offerings like food or incense next to it, and/or tablets inscribed with dead relatives' names. (Those cost a lot so Reader-chan settles with a framed photo). Important family documents and certificates may be kept in the drawers as well. While technically it isn't appropriate to place personal certificates and photos inside the butsudan, I guess people still do anyway lol. Again, not an expert, so if there are inaccuracies, I apologise.

[4] Japan has very strict gun laws about who can and cannot carry. Japanese police officers are expected to turn in their guns at the end of their shift. To keep your gun permit, I believe there are courses you must take, mental health checks, and just overall keeping up on renewing your status as a gun owner. Very tough process, but necessary. (If it was discovered Reader-chan did what she did, you best believe she wouldn't be on the force. Officer Kurosawa just covers for her a lot.)

**A/N: Whew, what a chapter… as an end note, I would also like to mention, if you suffer from mental illness/suicidal thoughts/etc, and you haven't gotten help, please do. Life is precious. And you still matter, even when you think you don't. And I am in no way trying to glorify mental illness just for plot sake. I am not a doctor. The things that Reader-chan does in this story, I do not claim will help anyone else with similar conditions. Think of her as a character study, a cautionary tale. Someone i love has PTSD and I am trying to understand it through research and writing out this character. If you have experience with this, have suggestions to improve the way I'm portraying this illness, or if I missed big triggers, please let me know. Your feedback is important.**

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**Love and good vibes, y'all.**

**-Lilith**


	8. Adachi: Ace Police Dick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adachi decides to 'investigate' your residence...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead yet.
> 
> Sorry for my unannounced hiatuses, I'm trying to get my shit together lol.
> 
> My new goal is to finish what I start, even if that means I'm dragging my feet and rummaging my brain for words for months on end. 
> 
> I still love writing and I won't give this story up!
> 
> I am also thankful for all of you who are still here, encouraging me. Thank you, thank you!
> 
> I feel like... This chapter is little... Eh? But, I'm posting it anyway. I was getting stuck with what I had originally and this chapter helped me to unstick from writer's block. 
> 
> Happy reading!

* * *

It's amazing the things you discover about a person by simply looking around their residence. It's the little things, details an ordinary person would miss, that all add up to the big picture like parts to a 1000-piece puzzle. 

Adachi liked puzzles.

They kept his mind sharp. Gave him something to do when he wasn't up to going out. He'd finished countless boxes of complex jigsaw puzzles… and yet, once they were done, he would grow bored again. He'd throw them out so they wouldn't take up space. Some people glued and framed them on the wall, having the same sense of pride as one hanging up a diploma. 

'Look what I did! I am so damn smart, aren't I? _Aren't I?_ '

Adachi sneered at the frames decorating your wall.

Gekkoukan High, Metropolitan Police Academy… the pictures of you graduating from each institution with a smiling old man in a police uniform at your side…

No mother. The man in the photo might have been your father, but he was quite old and Adachi saw no resemblance right off the bat. 

So, unlike him, you had entered the Academy fresh out of high school. No University certificate.

You definitely were a cutie back in the day though.

The detective ran a finger over a portrait of you in a Gekkoukan uniform, tracing the curve of your cheek.

He compared this version of you to your face of today, the tired, chaotic woman you had become. A far cry from this smiling face behind the glass. 

What was it that put the bags under your eyes and the drag to your posture? 

Adachi's hand fell to his side, feeling something deep inside wanting to reach out and connect. He tried to stuff it back into the abyss, but the notion lingered.

The you of today… he was starting to see the similarities between himself and that woman. Like you were a reflection in the mirror, different circumstances, same outcome. The loneliness, the empty stare, the constant state of exhaustion… just struggling to _live_ in this shithole of a world without anyone at your side…

He averted his eyes from the photo, shaking himself out of his stupor. 

_**This is supposed to be fun**_ , he reminded himself, and decided to explore more of your newly decorated apartment. 

You were a sentimental person.

The evidence was in the photo albums and yearbooks tucked into a small shelf against a wall.

The butsudan with your mother's photo and the spent incense stick in it's holder.

The cute little recipe book on the coffee table with the sappy letters and notes written by a dead woman.

A worn Totoro mug in the cupboard that had been out of the mainstream market for over a decade or two.

Out of date women's clothing, a jewelry box and bottle of perfume in the dresser, none of which he thought were yours. 

Why keep those things? He wondered. Why not sell the jewelry for the cash you needed and throw out the clothes? It was as if you were waiting for your mother to come back from the grave and get her things. 

It was depressing.

Adachi chewed at the inside of his cheek, wondering about his own mother. No doubt still wringing her hands at home over her disgraced only child. He hadn't spoken to her since his transfer. He changed his number and refused to tell her his address. She knew he was in Inaba, but… did she really care to come all the way from the city to this podunk little town to chew his ass off? 

Yeah right. His parents forced him to study 24/7 ever since he could pick up a pencil, pushed him into the best school with an escalator right into the most prestigious University… 

When the economy took a shit, his father had taken the coward's way out and jumped off a bridge. His mother had been devastated, and clung to Adachi in the most annoying way until he disappointed her and she turned on him in the worst way.

She cared about the perfect child she had tried to raise, the boy she had invested so much in to give her bragging rights and lots of grandbabies by forcing him down a path she thought was right.

Mother didn't give a shit about the man he had become. He was a lost cause, unworthy of praise… of love. 

Fucking bitch.

Adachi was better off without her and his dumbass father.

He needed no one but himself and the power within him.

Though, a little pussy on the side wouldn't hurt. He'd keep working on that with you...

* * *

Strange that Adachi could find no trace of your father other than a name on the family tree rolled up inside the dresser.

No photos. No memorial pictures. Nothing.

Daddy issues then.

Man, what the hell was it with fucked up fathers? It was becoming an epidemic. 

He wrote down the name in his notebook, a future search through the database would hopefully give him more info. 

_'When you grow up with evil, you get sick of it real quick.'_

Your melancholy voice echoed in his mind, taking him back to that talk outside of Shiroku, the sight of your tears. 

When he touched you, your flinching did not go unnoticed. You startled easily, clammed up when it came to your past, and if the box of dusty liquor bottles with barely a sip left by the garbage can was anything to go by, you drank to forget it all, even if it meant forgetting to get rid of the shameful evidence.

The emotional baggage both intangible and physical followed you where you went.

Your story was beginning to come together in his head.

Adachi hummed to himself and went to open your bedside table on a whim. All the fun stuff tended to live there.

He smirked, relishing in the feeling of always being right.

A bullet egg and a decent-sized vibrator greeted him in bright neon pinks and purples. 

No surprise there, really. 

He dragged a fingertip along the phallic toy, picturing himself torturing you with these things. He'd fuck you with the vibrator, maybe in both holes, and press that bullet against your clit until you were screaming for him to give you the real thing. He'd probably use his tie or a pair of handcuffs to keep your hands to yourself...

Yup, definitely one fantasy for the to do list.

How many times have you used them? Did you tease yourself? What did you think about while masturbating? And have you… used them with someone else once upon a time?

He glanced at the other junk in the drawer. A sad box of expired condoms, a half empty bottle of sex toy cleaner, a sample packet of cheap lube and a pocket knife…

Adachi shut the drawer and moved on.

The closet he had saved for last. There were always skeletons in the closet.

"Jackpot!" he grinned, taking the lid off a box meant for documents. It had been shoved in the darkest corner, away from prying eyes. Well, not anymore.

There were thick files and notebooks crammed into it. Gems of info waiting to be collected. He selected the first folder, jammed with a mess of papers.

Psych evals, medical info, therapy homework, prescription papers left unfilled and forgotten…

A treasure trove of secrets.

Adachi's heart began to race with excitement.

It all made sense now. This box of files… the final piece to the puzzle of you.

This was your big secret. The reason you couldn't handle being in the city.

He assumed none of this information had been in your file at work. He'd been too swept up in the TV nonsense to actually snoop through your profile, but he knew you wouldn't be a cop if that were the case. Someone had erased this part of you to save your career. Question was, who? And how?

The detective skimmed through the rest, looking at his watch from time to time. He'd spent nearly the entire morning here since you left and 45 minutes more reading these files. He couldn't see you being out any longer and would have to hurry this up to prevent you from walking in on him.

There was just so much here…copies of police reports, court documents, divorce (thankfully not yours) and adoption papers.

He wrote down another name, 'Gin Kurosawa'. Probably the old bastard in your pictures.

Kurosawa… why did that sound familiar?

Adachi sighed and shook his head, unable to keep the smile from his face.

For once in his life, the boredom that constantly came at him like the plague was gone. The puzzle was practically finished, and yet there was still more work to be done. He was hungry for more, unable to tear himself away from any of this-- from you…

He pocketed two of the journals, intent on reading them later. He'd return them once he was finished and select new ones. A forbidden library-- the idea tickled his insides.

You'd never know. These things were meant to be forgotten it seemed. 

And while yes, some of this information could have been lifted from the database with a simple search of your name, it was much more fun getting his hands dirty this way. So much more personal. 

The first time he had gone through your stuff, he hadn't gone in depth with it. He had examined only the most interesting things. Those boxes were too much of a mess to do anything else and he didn't have the patience to detangle anything other than your old underwear from it all.

Now that you had organized it all, it was much easier for him. The way you set things up to your preferences told him volumes.

And look at what he had found! He had enough dirt on you to fill a grave, and if you ever crossed him… he'd throw you in and bury you with it.

Carefully, Adachi put the box back together and slid it back into its corner. He'd revisit it another day and find what else lurked at the very bottom. For now, he was content with what he had.

Well, almost.

He plucked the pair of used panties that had lain discarded on the floor and shoved them into his back pocket.

A bold move, but you would never suspect him, he was sure.

There was something satisfying in the thought of you wearing what he had picked out. Hm, would it be weird if he were to shop for some saucy number online for future use? He knew your size...

...Yeah, that could be weird. 

But that didn't mean he wouldn't save things to his cart.

Adachi spotted his raincoat on his way out, pleased to see it was right where he left it. He would be expecting a knock on his door later…

And he'll be more than ready to entertain his guest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next year!
> 
> JK
> 
> Things might be saucy next chapter? Haven't written that part yet, but I feel you guys deserve it for waiting so damn long for me to update! Hoping to post again within the next week or two... Whenever I get that done.

**Author's Note:**

> If I deserve it, go ahead and buy me a coffee at: http://ko-fi.com/lilitheros
> 
> Hey I made a Tumblr: http://lilith-writes.tumblr.com/
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment, kudos, bookmark, and/or subscribe if you liked it! Please let me know if there are mistakes and your constructive criticism, ideas, theories, etc!


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